Mitchell Starc is poised to do a Mitchell Johnson and destroy England's batting line-up in the looming Ashes series, ex-Test quick Ryan Harris reckons.
Harris rates Australia's pace battery of Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Patrick Cummins as superior to the one which ripped through England in the last Ashes series in Australia in 2013-14.
Harris teamed with Johnson, who took 37 wickets and claimed three man-of-the-match awards, and Peter Siddle when Australia romped to a 5-0 series win.
Asked on Tuesday if the home nation's current fast bowling crop was stronger than the edition of four years ago, Harris said: "I think so.
"Hazlewood is doing the job I probably did and he's quicker than me and he gets more bounce," Harris, now a national performance coach, told reporters.
"And you have got Starc who can definitely do a Johnson role.
"And you have got Cummins as well, so you have probably got an extra bit of pace. Cummins on his day, he's fast as well."
"Obviously we did a good job last time but the key is going to be just working as a team and a bowling unit - that is what we did last time well and obviously we got the results."
Harris predicted bowlers would decide the five-Test series which starts in Brisbane on November 23.
And he warned English spearheads Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad would be a handful for Australia's batsmen.
"The ball moving around, it has obviously been well documented that we have had trouble with that," Harris said.
"Anderson and Broad ... those two themselves can destroy games and destroy line-ups and they're proven good bowlers over here.
"Anderson has got better in these conditions; it's pacy, Broad likes the pace.
"I think the bowling attacks will dictate the series."
