Northants coach Lehmann says England have to win first Test to stand a chance of claiming Ashes glory

A two-time Ashes winner as coach of Australia, Lehmann is well aware of what it takes to lift the urn over a five-match series, and he believes Ben Stokes and his team are going to have to get off to a flyer if they want to win the Ashes for the first time since 2015.

The eagerly-anticipated first Test gets underway in the early hours of Friday morning (2.20am GMT) at the Optus Stadium in Perth, and Lehmann admits it is going to be 'fascinating' to see how the teams match up.

In the home corner is a high quality but ageing Australia side that has been shorn of skipper Pat Cummins and a second world-class fast bowler in Josh Hazlewood.

In the away corner is Stokes' all-action, cavalier and full throttle England team that is capable of producing the stunning and sublime one moment, and ridiculous and woeful the next - at times in the same session!

Proud Australian Lehmann is not surprisingly backing his countrymen to win the series, although he is going for a more measured 3-1 scoreline than Glenn McGrath's usual '5-0' call, but he does concede that if England can play at their best and get off to a flyer, they could be hard to contain.

But to have a chance of doing that, England are going to have to leave Perth and be heading to Brisbane for Test two leading the series 1-0.

"It is how Australia plays in the first couple of Test matches that is going to be key," said Lehmann, talking on ABC Sports' Big Ashes Preview.

"I can reasonably call a 3-1 win for Australia, but if that first Test goes haywire for Australia then it could be the other way. The first Test match is huge.

"I think if Australia win the first Test then I don't see England fighting back, but if England win the first Test I can see Australia fighting back, although it would be a challenge.

"You have to win that first Test as it is so important. If England win it then they get some confidence, although I do think Australia can get back into the series because they hold the Ashes.

"People talk about how Australia haven't won the Ashes in England, well really England have been poor in the past two series in England. They have been at home and produced the pitches they wanted, and only got 2-2 in both series.

"So they're wins for Australia in my eyes, they still hold the Ashes and they have done that for four or five series now (it is four), and England haven't really come close have they?

"It's a big one for England, and the way Brendon McCullum wants things, if they play badly in the first Test then they will attack the second one even harder. It is fascinating."

Lehmann will be commentating on the Ashes for ABC, and his thoughts were echoed by former England skipper Michael Vaugahan, who told the BBC: "Australia have enough to cause a bit of damage but England have a great chance. They have got to play great disciplined cricket and win the moments.

"Australia went 1-0 down to India here last year and came back.

"England have to win in Perth. You look at 1986-87 when they won here, they got off to a good start. 2010-11, they got off to a decent start - a draw in Brisbane.

"It will be very difficult to come back from going 1-0 down here."