Calcutta: England will have to be ruthless in their approach, avoid verbal volleys and let Kevin Pietersen play his natural game if they are to win Ashes series, feels Australian spin legend Shane Warne. “It will be very difficult for England to win in Australia. It has not happened for such a long time and people forget they are coming off the back of a 5-0 embarrassment here four years ago.

“But before a ball is bowled, this is England’s best chance of winning in Australia for a generation if they follow simple rules when they arrive in Australia.

“They have to be ruthless, disciplined and play with flair. They must also not get involved in the war of words,” Warne wrote in The Daily Telegraph. Warne said Pietersen and Swann are key to England’s success.