McGrath says come next January he is supremely confident Australia will have the Ashes back after losing them in England in last year's epic series.
SYDNEY: Consummate positive thinker Glenn McGrath says there are three strong reasons why Australia will reclaim cricket's Ashes against England over the next couple of months.
The veteran fast bowler, who has snared 136 of his 542 Test wickets against England, is working his way back into bowling rhythm after taking eight months off this year to support wife Jane through her third battle with cancer.
McGrath says come next January he is supremely confident Australia will have the Ashes back after losing them in England in last year's epic series.
The 36-year-old paceman believes three reasons point to Australia's chances of Ashes success, beginning at Brisbane's Gabba ground on November 23.
"England went into the last Ashes after a very successful 18 months. They had the same team together and Michael Vaughan was doing a great job as captain," McGrath told Sydney's Sun-Herald newspaper on Sunday.
"They'd been playing with a lot of confidence and winning, and once you win games you start to know how to win games, especially when those key moments come up.
"In regard to their confidence and everything else, there's a massive difference between England then and England now.
"They've lost Vaughan, had a lot of injuries, and haven't had the same team together. Okay, they won their last couple of Tests, but their one-day form has been pretty poor.
"Secondly, the Australian team has learnt a lot from last time."
"When you lose is when you learn the most. We identified a few areas where we could improve. With the calibre we've got, a lot of our plans were for our team, rather than individual player versus individual player. We've moved to the next level," McGrath said.
"England on that tour with their support staff and the way they prepared, they were the world leaders in those areas.
"They had us covered there. We've identified that. We've got (fast bowling coach) Troy Cooley and a couple of other guys in place now, so we're leaving no stone unturned."
McGrath's third reason is Australian batsman Mike Hussey, who is averaging almost 76 from his 11 Test appearances since his debut against the West Indies almost a year ago.
"Mike Hussey didn't play the (Ashes) Test series last time, and since then he's taken the world by storm," he said.
"What Huss brings to the team, and the way Brett Lee has bowled in the last 12 months, they're huge bonuses for Australian cricket. That's why we'll finish with the Ashes."
McGrath, a bowling machine best primed by a lot of work, says he will have enough preparation before the Ashes, with two one-day series in Malaysia and India.
He has had to adapt, not so much because of an ageing body but because of a subtle power shift in which Lee has been granted the wind at his back, two years ago in one-dayers and in Tests last southern summer.
"I've gone from bowling with the wind to bowling against it. Being a rhythm bowler, that's probably the toughest thing I've had to deal with, but it's not a huge issue and I feel I can cope with it pretty well," McGrath says.
McGrath believes he will play a major role in another Ashes series. "But whether I'm there or not," he says, "come early January, the Ashes will be in Australian hands."
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