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Cummins and co embrace life as Ashes problem-solvers

Australia captain Pat Cummins can't wait for the second Ashes Test at Lord's to get underway. (AP PHOTO)

Australia's bowlers are relishing becoming Test cricket's ultimate problem-solvers, with England set to unleash an even more aggressive onslaught in the second Test.

One week on from the thrilling two-wicket win at Edgbaston, Australia are bracing for England to go at them with the same fearless approach at Lord's starting Wednesday.

Nathan Lyon spent Monday being attacked in the nets by Matt Renshaw, while asking fly-in reserve wicketkeeper Jimmy Peirson to replicate Joe Root's footwork against him.

England left Birmingham feeling like they won, arguing they forced Australia into being uncharacteristically defensive.

Australia's fields were also heavily scrutinised after they started with a deep point in a bid to try and contain England, in another move that the hosts jumped upon.

But captain Pat Cummins can feel vindicated in his tactics, which have differed more significantly when compared to other teams against England in the past year.

The tourists were adamant before the first Test they would stick with their plans to contain England, with chances likely to be presented given their attacking style.

That is unlikely to change at Lord's, with bowlers comfortable with men on the boundary from early on against an England side that have won 11 of 14 games playing their fearless style.

"There's definitely more opportunities," Lyon said.

"I love it when guys are coming at me. And it's just honestly about trying to solve the problem in front of you as quickly as you can.

"They're going to throw different problems at us. It's exciting, we should be excited by it and we're not going to shy away from that challenge.

"So it's just a big mental thing for me is just about going out there and enjoying the challenge and making sure my skill-set’s up to speed."

The problem-solver moniker in the Australian team has often been reserved for Steve Smith, with former coach Justin Langer regularly labelling him the world's best.

But against England, it is regularly the bowlers that have had to react.

Scott Boland's place in the team for Lord's is in doubt after England made a point of trying to unsettle him as he twice went for beyond five an over in an innings for the first time in first-class or Test cricket since 2015.

Mitchell Starc is a chance to replace him in an English summer where swing has overtaken seam, with Australia still yet to finalise their team as of Tuesday morning.

Cummins too, has had to problem-solve as a bowler.

While the skipper is proud of the way the tourists refused to budge in the face of Bazball, the biggest surprise came when Joe Root tried to reverse-scoop him on ball one of day four.

"I actually enjoyed it," Cummins said.

"You've got to problem solve out there, which is great fun as a captain and as a bowler.

"It's not a new problem, you feel like it all the time.

"It's just maybe a bit more like T20 and one-day cricket where the problems you try to solve are more like that, as opposed to trying to create something from nothing like you sometimes have to do in Test matches."

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