'We've got to bowl at the top of our game', says James Pattinson ahead of Ashes

Melbourne: Ahead of the Ashes series, Australian pacer James Pattinson has said his team has to be on the top of their game to challenge English batsmen.

"As a bowling group we're expecting them to be at the top of their game and that's the best way to treat it. We've got to bowl at the top of our game to challenge their batters and if we do that I think we're a chance," Cricket.com.au quoted Pattinson as saying.

During the one-off Test match against Ireland, England were bundled out for just 85 runs in the first innings. However, they made an electric comeback in the game with both bat and ball as they scored 303 runs in the second innings and sent the Ireland batters back to the pavilion on just 38 runs in the second innings to register a 143-run victory.

Pattinson is expecting England to come hard at them even though the World Cup winners had an embarrassing show on day one against Ireland.

"I suppose it's hard for them coming in from such a high in the World Cup to play a Test match against Ireland six days later. It's quite tough and that's what the international schedule throws at you now. I wouldn't read too much into that. They're likely to come out and bat well (at Edgbaston) and we're expecting that," he said.

Australia will face England in the first Test match of the series on August 1.