A sunny Saturday morning in Perth, at picturesque Lilac Hill, with an expectation of bad news.

There was even advance warning from England that an announcement concerning Mark Wood was due – not usually a sign of optimism.

Bad news would arrive, just not on the English side of the Ashes divide. Exactly 86 minutes after Wood was cleared following concerns over a hamstring injury, Australia’s Josh Hazlewood was ruled out of Friday’s first Test with a dodgy hammy of his own. Hazlewood was hamstrung, Wood hamstrong.

The ripple of shock went around the white picket fences of Lilac Hill, rendering the on-field action of England’s warm-up match against England Lions inconsequential compared with the action of hamstring scanners in various parts of Australia.

Hazlewood joins captain Pat Cummins on the sidelines, two-thirds of Australia’s big three pacers absent from the series opener at Optus Stadium.

Before we hand the urn to Ben Stokes, remember Hazlewood missed four Tests in the last Ashes played in this country in 2021-22. Cummins also missed one. Australia won 4-0.

In home Tests played without both Cummins and Hazlewood in the XI, the Aussies have not lost in 13 years.

Still, this is not the Australia of four years ago. Older, and with questions about the make-up of their team, the hosts will find it harder to absorb the absence of two thoroughbred fast bowlers. Australia could field any one from about six different XIs, none of which seem entirely satisfactory.

It is a gilt-edged opportunity England simply cannot afford to miss.

That is not to say Australia are suddenly there for the taking. The hosts remain favourites because they have some very fine cricketers and do not lose at home very often.

And it is not much of a leap to say this is England’s best chance to win the urn in Australia for 14 years, as 13 defeats and two draws in 15 Tests since 2010-11 are a low barrier to success.

In order to regain the Ashes, England have no choice but to start well. Reversing momentum is rarely achieved in Australia, so a 2023-style comeback is much harder. The second Test is a day-nighter and the Aussies, led by pink-ball genius Mitchell Starc, hardly ever lose under floodlights.

Given their depletion, imagine the boost Australia would gain by winning the first Test, especially with skipper Cummins on track to return for the second. Consider the foreboding for England if they were to lose.