The Ashes 2013: Australia Prove They Will Be No Walkovers

England may have closed well at the end of Day 1 of The Ashes 2013, but Australia has already shown plenty in the first test.

Australia finished on 75-4 after bowling out England for 215, per BBC Sport. And don't think the Australians are going to lie down Thursday.

England was deservedly the favorite headed into the series. The team had recently beaten India and New Zealand. But there were two developments in particular that may have swayed this year's series before it even began.

For one, Australia's coaching change to Darren Lehmann was expected to bring some fire to the team right away. Apparently it has, as Australia surprised many observers with a blistering start early Wednesday. The mental advantage appears to be wavering.

Second of all, the venue selected for the series opener, Trent Bridge, does not favor England. Due to a pitch that can easily deteriorate, the toss is extremely important and the team that bats first generally has the advantage.

Gareth Purnell of the Independent noted in his betting preview:

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There is not a ground in the country where England have a worse win:loss ratio. Out of the last nine tests played there over 10 years, six have been won by the team batting first.

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There's also the fact that England has been getting off to slow starts in the first innings of the first test in the series for a while now. It happened against India, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It's only a matter of time before the law of averages sets things right. 

Several players stepped up for Australia Wednesday, including Shane Watson, Ed Cowan and Steve Smith. Smith's play in particular has been surprising, as he's displaying solid skills as a batsman. 

There is a lot left to play at Trent Bridge, but Australia showed the fire needed to topple England on Wednesday. The conditions, combined with the appointment of Lehmann and intriguing performance of players like Smith, could see the Australians capture The Ashes for the first time since 2006-07.