After a tough series against India, Australia have bounced back in a resounding manner against Sri Lanka and this has infused a sense of confidence in the camp.
Captain Tim Paine is already looking ahead at the Ashes series and believes that his side is in great shape. Also, he believes that Steve Smith and David Warner will bolster the side and that they will have a huge impact on the outcome.
"I think everyone to a degree has to earn their stripes. I think those two have got plenty of runs in the bank if you like," Paine said about their role when their bans are lifted.
Important to this team
"Look, I see us going to the Ashes and them having a huge part in us winning the series. That's how I see how important they are to this team," he further added.
One of the major reasons behind Australia's recent struggles has been the lack of centuries and this drought came to an end in Canberra where Joe Burns, Usman Khawaja, and Kurtis Patterson scored their centuries.
"What we have seen over this summer is we are starting to build a squad with plenty of depth. There's probably anywhere between 16 and 25 players we think are now in the mix, which is a really good place to be," Paine said about the potential Ashes squad.
Speaking about his personal ambitions, the wicket-keeper batsman said that he has been thinking about the challenge for a while now and that he is looking forward to captaining Australia in England.
"I've been dreaming about it actually," he said. "I'm happy now that we've got this (Sri Lanka series) out of the way and I can put everything into it because every Australian cricketer can't wait to go and play an Ashes series, particularly in England."
