Cook refused to announce his lineup on the eve of the match but did agree that using two spinners was "a realistic option" on a flat wicket at the revamped Adelaide Oval, which now has a horse-shoe configuration of grandstands and has lost the grassy hills that flanked the ground last time he visited.
England dominated from the start in the corresponding test at Adelaide in 2010, snaring three wickets in the first few overs -- including then captain Ricky Ponting and Clarke -- to have the Australians reeling at 3-2. Cook scored 148 and Kevin Pietersen made 227 in reply before England declared, setting up a win by an innings and 71 runs. That gave the English a 1-0 series lead and an important psychological boost that helped them ultimately claim the Ashes on Australian soil for the first time in 24 years.
"I certainly won't be trying to remember it," Clarke said of that first morning in Adelaide.
