“The first Test in India could have gone either way, Australia might have won it and if they had the series would not have been quite as bad as it looks,” Bell said.
“Playing in India is completely different to playing in Australia. Even though Australia will come back disappointed it will have no reflection on what we do in Australia.
“They didn’t lose a Test at home last year so they will still have the confidence of playing at home. They know how to win at home.
“I still believe, and I’m sure a lot of people do, that Australia have got to be favourites playing at home.
“They have come off the back off some real harsh results playing in England recently, but that’s playing in England in different conditions with a different ball. It’s a completely different game.
“We will have to adjust our game plans as well from playing in England and try to play an Aussie brand of cricket out there.”
England had no answer to Australia’s aggressive brand of cricket four years ago but Ponting is now captain of a side in transition.
Seven members of the side who tormented England four years ago — Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Damien Martyn, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee — have since retired from Test cricket. Bell is one of seven survivors from that series who will depart for Australia two weeks today.
“The team I played against in 2005 and again in 2006-07 was arguably one of the best teams of all time,” Bell said.
“It was a hell of a lesson early in my Test career to play them at home. This Australia team has different personnel, it’s a younger side and less experienced than the one I started against. But they will still have that Australian aggression. That’s also important for us. When we have played well we have played quite aggressive cricket as well.
“Last time we went to Australia believing that we could win. That got closed down very quickly and by the end we were getting annihilated.
“The last time we only had two or three who had played there, so we had minimal experience of what it took to play in Australia.
“Now have got seven guys who know what it takes to play in Australia. We have a match-winner in Kevin Pietersen and we have a bowling attack that is starting to emerge together nicely as it did in 2005.
"There are some nice signs but it counts for nothing when you get over there. The first day at Brisbane is where it all matters.”
Four years ago England played only one first-class match before the first Test and were under-prepared. This time they will play Western Australia, South Australia and Australia A before the first Test starts on November 25.
“Four years ago we went straight to Australia from an ICC Champions Trophy so we only had a couple of weeks of preparation,” Bell said.
“This time we are there for a month and the three warm-up games will be like three Test matches because you know that they just want to beat you every time.”
Somerset have emerged as favourites to sign seamer Gemaal Hussain, who has joined the exodus of senior players from Gloucestershire.
Hussain, 27, was the leading wicket-taker in this year’s County Championship second division with 67 but has turned down the offer of a contract extension from Gloucestershire.
Somerset, who have already signed paceman Steve Kirby from Gloucestershire, are believed to be close to completing the signing of Hussain though Hampshire have also made an approach for him.
Gloucestershire have also lost former Zimbabwe international seamer Anthony Ireland to Middlesex and Ireland batsman Will Porterfield to Warwickshire.
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