Australia are hoping their bowling attack is not a case of out with the old and in with the new when the fourth npower Ashes Test begins at Trent Bridge today.

Veteran Glenn McGrath faces the prospect of missing his second match of the series through injury, which would be a major loss to an Australian team given fresh impetus with the inclusion of Shaun Tait for the first time.

Pace bowler Tait, 22, makes his international debut after ousting Michael Kasprowicz in the tussle for the spot created by the outofsorts Jason Gillespie's omission.

Having clung on to reach the penultimate match of the campaign at 1-1, the Australians underwent a tactical re-think last week to include Tait - genuinely hostile but unproven in the spotlight - alongside seasoned duo Shane Warne and McGrath, whose participation is now threatened by a sore right elbow.

The 35-year-old has made miraculous recoveries an art form, however, and that has encouraged the tourists' management to believe he can win another fitness race.

"He noticed a little bit of soreness in his elbow after the fourth day of the last Test match," said physio Errol Alcott.

"Next day batting and thereafter there were no real problems, but in the two-day game with Northamptonshire he bowled a bouncer in the 11th over and felt sharp pain and has since developed symptoms and weakness with the joint.

"We would like more time, of course, but we are confident he is responding to treatment." Kasprowicz is on stand-by, with Australia putting off any decision until this morning - by which time the pain and swelling in the joint may have receded sufficiently for McGrath to throw and bowl without excess discomfort.

"We always like our players to go in as clean and as fresh as possible, rather than keep treating through a Test match," added Alcott.

England have become accustomed to the menace of McGrath and leg-spinner Warne, who claims he has been suffering lower back stiffness in the past couple of days.

But Tait, set to be his country's 392nd Test cap, offers a completely different challenge - given his slingy style and sheer speed.

"A lot of their players would not have seen him at all - and with the unusual action he has, he might surprise a few people," said captain Ricky Ponting.

"He has that knack of being able to bowl certain deliveries to knock batsmen over.

"Guys like Brett Lee and Shaun are best used in shorter bursts. So far through the Test series, we have had to bowl Brett in longer spells because of what has been happening at the other end."

England have scored at a rate of 4.01 runs-per-over in the series to date, meting most punishment on Gillespie and Kasprowicz and outstripping their opponents' free-flowing batting.

No side has scored so quickly against the Australians, in fact, since they began their world-record run of 16 consecutive Test wins in 1999.

Statistics can be misleading, however, with England no doubt buoyed by their form at Trent Bridge in the modern era. They have lost only twice in the last 11 matches - but crucially both have come against Australia, on each occasion settling the outcome of the Ashes.