But just how good are they, and do they have what it takes to win the Ashes?

After a series characterised by ill-feeling and controversy, it was all smiles for England in Colombo after a thrilling four-wicket win.

Nasser Hussain's men have undoubtedly grown in strength and confidence during this tour, with outstanding performances from the likes of Darren Gough and Graham Thorpe giving the team an genuine attacking edge.

Australia however have just lost their first Test in 16 matches, falling victim to one of the greatest fightbacks in Test cricket history against India.

So with England on a high, and Australia licking their wounds, how will the Ashes series go?

Tell us what you think

Some of the comments made by English supporters just make me laugh. When was the last time England won 16 matches in a row against any opposition? Who is going to take 30 wickets when they play Australia? Who is going to stop the likes of Gilchrist and the Waugh brothers on much more familiar pitches? And dont forget Brett Lee is going to be playing. England will probably win one or two matches but winning The Ashes? I dont think so.
Stephen Rutkowski, Australia

I think England at last are ready to push the Aussies all the way. England teams have always had ability but the steel shown in Pakistan and Sri Lanka should have the Aussies worried. A 3-1 England series win.
Steve Coupe, England

Australia will be clear favourites and I fear that they will still be too strong for England, despite their renewed confidence and run of good results. Maybe when the Aussies next come to England we will have a chance.
Jonboy England

Cricket is a game where mental attitude counts for more than in most sports.When England last visited Australia, they really went hard at the Australians in the Melbourne Test and pulled off a really stunning victory. They do not lack skills as much as consistency. Now that the Aussies might be feeling a bit of self-doubt of their own at last, and provided all the English players play as they can do at their peak, they could perhaps share the Ashes series, if not win it.
Dave Smith, New Zealand

I think England can beat the Aussies. All they need to do is put the Aussies under pressure like the Indians did and the aussies will fold. England just have to believe in themselves. The Aussies have been playing against very poor opposition before India, so they have not really been tested until now. Give them the old Botham magic and you can beat them England!
Gerry Pearce, Australia

The England team is unrecognisable from the one that lost to New Zealand and is in it's best shape for a long time. I expect the Ashes to be close, but I suspect that the Aussies will nick it. The England players will have to perform out of their skins for every session in the series if they are to win it. Australia have sufficient all round ability to get away with a few below par sessions. Having said that I hope we give them a good pasting!
Chris Griggs, England

I think England should keep their feet on the ground and look at winning a single Test and not losing more than three, as a good result against an amazing Aussie side. A drawn series would be a magnificent achievment and an England series win would be a miracle.
Charlie, UK

For the first time in years the English team has a fighting chance. Although this Australian team are without doubt the best in the world, thier pure arrongance could be their undoing. England need to be very aggresive from the first Test and they have to bat with confidence. If McGrath and co see any chink in the armour, they will exploit it and end up waltzing the series. If we put them under pressure, there is absolutly no doubt that the Aussies will succumb. The Aussies are extremly bad losers and they will be rattled if we play agressively. Come on England, you can do it!
James Yates, Australia

The outcome of the forthcoming Ashes series depends largely on the form of Shane Warne and the fitness of Brett Lee. Despite England's recent resurgence, it is still only the most blindly patriotic English fan who would predict anything other than an Aussie win (sadly).
Andy Price, Englishman in Sydney

I would just like to reply to the utter drivel written by Ben Thomas from New Zealand. When England were beaten by New Zealand in the summer of 1999 (just as Nasser and Duncan Fletcher were taking charge) they were admittedly at their lowest ebb. The turn-around in their fortunes since then has been truly amazing and well earned. England don't want to become over ecstatic because there is still some way to go before they reach the Aussies� level but I would remind Mr Thomas that Pakistan are talent-wise, one of the best sides in the world (presently rated No. five). The West Indies are going through a rough patch at the moment but are still rated No. three in the world and Sri Lanka are rated with England on current form as joint No. four. He made a remark about Sri Lanka not being world class but would he care to look up some recent results in tests and one-dayers between Sri Lanka and New Zealand in the last 2 years!
David Staddon, UK

Well done Nasser and the England team. Winning two consecutive series on the sub-continent is some feat. Australia, however, will be a different matter altogether. They may have lost one Test, but how many was it that they won prior to that? England can now compete with them, thanks to the Fletcher/Hussain mind set, but pound for pound they still look the better side. It will need a massive effort of will and resolve. Come on, lads! Do it!
Ron Blow, England

As an Englishman who's lived in Australia for nearly 11 years nothing would give me more pleasure than to see England regain the Ashes. It will be tough, of that there is no doubt, but I'm starting to believe, rather than hope, that England can win this time. Come on lads, you can do it.
Stephen Done, Australia

Lets not get carried away. England played well to beat Sri Lanka but what would have been the outcome of the third test if Thorpe had been given out as he should have been on 73? England are looking good now but Australia will be the real test and with hopefully competent umpiring we will get a true result!
D.C.Bartholomew, UK

No, England will not win the Ashes series. Apart from Australia being far stronger in all phases of the game, the English just do not understand the deep and intense overiding desire of Australians to beat the English, at any cost.
Mal Walker, Australia

Roll on the Aussies - England will wipe the floor with Waugh's men!
Tom, UK

It would be nice to believe that India's victory over Australia would give our boys a glimmer of hope this coming summer. The fact that the Indians humiliated the Aussies last week has shown that they are beatable. The Aussies have been riding a wave of victories over mediocre opposition (mostly at home) for too long. It's finally time England stood up and had a go. It will be close and we'll win.
Stefan Kopczyk, Australia

Its too close. It would be nice to see England winning the ashes after few years domination by Aussies. I wish England.
Mano, Japan

Dream on. In the batting department Australia are far too strong. Although England will be competitive, the Ashes will go back down under by at least a 3-1 margin.
Nic Addison, USA

I think it will be close but Australia's bowling attack is too strong with McGrath, Lee, Gillespie and Warnie. It should be interesting but Australia will be too good.
Kobe Bryant, Australia

I would love to see England win, but unfortunately they are not in the same league as the Aussies, who are superior in almost every department. And they're more determined. Sorry!
Maurice Gherson, Canada

If India could win the second test against australia by 171 runs after following on, why on earth should any one doubt the result of ashes?
Gangolli, India

Australia's run of wins was great but lets face it - most of the opposition has been weak and most of the matches were at home. This series against India is the first time for a while that we can see how good they really are and the pressure has showed. But they have also confirmed that they are without doubt the best batting side in the world because even with the form players out there is always someone there to get a century. If England continue to improve at this rate they will beat Australia. England to win 3-2.
Colin Simcock, Australia

It's obvious that Australia will have the upper hand, but if England openers can give their team a solid start, Australia might be in trouble. Beside this, The confidence level of this current English team is high and I am sure that Naseer and his men have something surprising for us.
Manish Shahi, Nepal

I very much doubt that England can avoid a white-wash. The Aussies have world class bowlers. England have very ordinary batting line-up, and they are in real danger of losing heavily unless they improve their batting. England has no stroke players like India had Laxman and Sachin. That's a huge disadvantage.The only way you can upset the Aussies is by playing aggressive cicket.
Naveen, USA

I expect England to have a very good pace attack against Australia, but this Australian side is ruthless at pinpointing weaknesses in the opposition. I am concerned at the technical deficiencies shown by a few of our batsmen.
Richard Woolley, UK

England have, until now, won most of thier matches with their bowling. Australia, on the oter hand have been combining both. As itr stands I think England may be able to win a test or two if they are very lucky, but I doubt they can win back the ashes.
S Rahman, Saudi Arabia

I think England are the best team in the globe. I am sure about that England will win the ashes. They are very good both at home and abroad.
Azad Kabir, Bangladesh

I think with some good summer weather here in England this year and the English crowds filled to capacity, England have their best chance since 1986 to regain the Ashes. Under Nasser Hussain and Duncan Fletcher England have restored long lost pride into English cricket that had been missing since we last won the Ashes. Let's hope that when the Aussies come over here later this year England don't crumble, and we can again show the cricketing world that England are a force. I think England will win the Ashes 3-1.
Pete Bull, England

English conditions, seemingly excellent team spirit, and a great improvement in fielding give us a realistic chance. However my one area of concern remains our batting. Whatever happens the team have been magnificent on tour, so lets hope we can bring back the ashes.
Andrew Cairns, England

One very important point that gets overlooked is the captaincy of Nassar Hussain. I think he is presently the best Test cricket captain in the world. The results - given where England have come from - speak for themselves. Australians will argue for Steve Waugh. Waugh is a very fine batsman but a solid - not a great - captain. I could captain and win with the side that Border and Taylor put together from my arm chair!
Robert Large, Australia

England can beat the Aussies, if they improve their batting skills. Very poor batting was shown by them in third test, but the bowling department is very good. They have to give a place to great Cork again in the test squad
Vnesreenivas, UAE

I think England can win it and will go on to become one of the best cricketing nations in world.
Ed Geraghty, Wales

This test series win was exactly what the lads neeeded but the teams we've been playing recently aren't up the standard of the Aussies at their best. It's going to be close and you can bet the Aussies will up their game after the India result. What the England lads need the most though is a lot of support. England test matches at home recently haven't been that well attended, but if everybody gets out and supports the team we've got as good a chance as anybody. Come on lads!
Andy Corbett, England

Let's keep our feet on the ground here. Australia have only lost one Test and, although England have improved beyond all measure in the last 18 months, the Aussies are still the best side in the world. Still, bring them on!
Allister Webb, England

Whether or not England will defeat Australia this summer is impossible to predict, but I think safe to predict that they will put up a tremendous show. Just a short while ago, England were labelled the worst Test playing team in the world - what an astonishing turn around! All credit to Nasser and the boys for restoring pride in the team. Waitng for the summer to get started will feel like torture!
Simon Verlaque, USA

I think it is vital to the continuing England success for them to compete well, if not win the series. But if it all does go wrong lets not start trying to chop heads. Sometimes things will go wrong even in good sides - look no further than Australia V India. All I can say, is that the Aussies don't look so invincible. Go for it England, you can do it, only if you believe in yourselves.
Iain Ballard, UK

At last England have put a string of wins together. England are good enough to beat Australia this summer. Now they might even believe it themselves.
Oliver Carthew, Ireland

As a pom in Australia, it's great to see England improving as a side; but lets not get carried away. Australia are very, very good. England will compete well with Australia but I think they will need a lot of luck and bad weather if they are going to retain the ashes
John Sherry, Australia

It's going to be close but it would be nice to see England clinching the Ashes after the Aussies have dominated over the last few series. I guess it's too close to call. Atherton and Gough should be the key to it.
Lionel, Singapore

The prospects are good for the Ashes series. England seem to have a great self belief. In the field, Hussain lead the team admirably despite his recent poor form, and the England bowlers proved they have a killer instinct that has sometimes been lacking. They've also proved they can bat too! The fielding has been world class and the batting very good. Australia will be reeling from the Indian defeat, England will be on a high. Let's hope they can build on what has been a great 18 months for English Cricket.
Lee Devlin, England