The teams walk out, side by side, for the national anthems. Joe Root stops and has a chinwag with his tiny mascot while Steve Smith smiles a bit nervously.

This man has just finished a marathon Champions League live text. Dedication.

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I'm slightly disappointed no-one sang an Adele song, given she's been blamed for damaging the Gabba pitch.

Anyway, this is your 10 minute warning! Stick the kettle on. Get the snacks ready. Dig out your comfiest blanket.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at the Gabba

Amazing. Jerusalem has just been belted out by a chap with a cracking set of pipes. The Aussie response? A version of John Farnham's You're the Voice. Really? In Adelaide they might as well do Land Down Under.

Image source, PA

Ruth Brooksbank: England batting first gives me the dilemma of whether to set the BBC Wicket Alert and risk it waking me up regularly throughout the night.

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Phil Tufnell
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

I've been really looking forward to this series for a long time. Both batting line-ups have flaws and then there's also some big, quick fast bowlers on both sides.

It's going to be really tight and I don't think there will be too many draws.

England's middle order consists of Dawid Malan, Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow. That feels right, to me. Bairstow's settled at seven and Moeen can turn a game with the bat. It's a juicy looking tail for Australia's bowlers to have a crack at, though.

On that note, Mitch Starc is absolutely pounding through his warm-up routine. Moustache still looks dreadful, mind.

Image source, PA

Dave Tarpey: Won the toss, now we must banish all negative thoughts! Will be 300-2 at close of play. Please let Mitchell Starc do a Harmy.

James Bailey: Oooo batting first. Looking at the weather would have thought bowling would have been the better choice.

Australia captain Steve Smith on BT Sport: "I would've had a bat as well but there's a bit of cloud, it's going to be tough batting and hopefully we can get the ball moving around.

"We're all excited, it's been a pretty big build-up so we're ready to get out here and play. It'll be hard for the batters, it's bit slow, so we'll hope to get our lengths right and get some few wickets.

"Dave Warner and Shaun Marsh are all good, good to go. We've got an exciting top six, an exciting team and we're ready to put on a show.

"It's been one of the longest build-ups and a series I've been looking forward to for a long time. It's going to be an incredible series and important we start well here."

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, PA

Australia: Warner, Bancroft, Khawaja, Smith, Handscomb, Marsh, Paine, Starc, Cummins, Hazlewood, Lyon.

England: Cook, Stoneman, Vince, Root, Malan, Moeen, Bairstow, Woakes, Broad, Anderson, Ball.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport at the Gabba

There were lots of England players and staff gathered on the outfield, watching the toss. Australia seemed less interested. When Joe Root called correctly, there were English claps and handshakes.

England captain Joe Root on BT Sport: "The pitch is maybe slightly softer than anticipated but I'm sure it will harden up as the day and the game goes on.

"You can't play on what's happened in the past at the Gabba, you've got to play what's in front of you so we'll bat first and hope to bat big.

"We've prepared really well - in the warm-ups we've gathered motivation nicely and everyone has contributed along the way.

"Captaining England in Australia is something you always dream of as a kid and I'm really looking forward to this series."

Neil Leverett: 2 months of disrupted sleep, torturous tension and occasional narcolepsy. And that's just England's batsmen. Bring it on!!

Joe Root confirms that Moeen will bat at six, and Jake Ball has taken up the final bowling slot.

David Warner and Shaun Marsh are both fine, says Steve Smith. He looks genuinely giddy.

Joe Root calls correctly! England have won the toss!

They'll have a bat first, which is a surprise to about 0.0% of the population. Root looks a lot calmer now he's won the toss, although there's still a bit of a quiver in his voice.

Here we go. Joe Root and Steve Smith meet in the middle, both in their blazers, looking like two overgrown schoolboys who got lost on the way to class.

It's a bit grey and a bit cloudy overhead, with a few specks of blue trying to force their way through. Root looks a bit tense.

Smith throws the coin...

What's KP doing?!

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special commentator

Steve Smith and Joe Root have just exchanged team sheets. Steve Smith no doubt just double checking Ben Stokes isn't on England's.

Some cheerful stats for the England fans.

Of the 59 Test played at the Gabba since 1931, Australia have won 37 of them, and lost just eight.

The hosts have also won the first Test in seven of the past 12 home Ashes series.

They've lost the first match just twice in that period, and their last defeat came back in 1986-87, when their squad was weakened due to the rebel tours of South Africa.

Image source, Getty Images

Injury speculation, part three: David Warner, he of the sore neck, has wandered off with the physio. He's taken his bat and pads with him, though.