How to beat the Aussies

Australia have only one specialist spinner, Nathan Hauritz, but have two batsmen, Michael Clarke and Marcus North, who can bowl decent spin, so I expect them to pick a four-man pace attack and bat very deep, writes South Africa coach Mickey Arthur in the Sunday Times.

I guarantee I will be glued to my TV back home in South Africa watching the Ashes for two reasons: first, this is going to be a competitive, exciting series; second, England are coming out to South Africa in December, so I want to see how they are shaping up.

Australia are in a building phase but proved when they came to South Africa after Christmas just what quality and depth they have. We had recently beaten them 2-1 in Australia but I was impressed with the way they came back hard at us to win the return series 2-1. It just shows they will never lie down.