THE start of the Ashes will signal the first time a series of rule changes will be used in Test cricket in Australia.

Among the changes signed off by the International Cricket Council earlier this year were changes to the decision review system (DRS) which could have a significant impact on the series.

GETTING THE URN: YOUR GUIDE TO THE ASHES

NECK INJURY: MAXI GETS NOD BUT WARNER

A key alteration has been that a review will no longer be lost if an on-field decision remains unchanged solely as the result of an “Umpire’s Call’, which mainly relate to LBW decisions.

And also crucially, there will be no more top-up reviews after 80 overs of an innings.

Previously, the review count was restarted with each new ball.

But now each team can only use two unsuccessful reviews in each innings, however long it lasts.

media_camera The ICC has made changes to the DRS that will mainly affect lbw decision. Picture: Tom Huntley

Also ticked off was a change to the rule around “bouncing bats”.

In rare circumstances batsmen were run out despite their bats having passed the crease because they had “bounced”in to the air and were not grounded.

But now if a batsman is running or diving towards the crease with forward momentum, and has grounded his/her bat behind the popping crease but it then loses contact with the ground when the stumps are broken, the batsman won’t be given out.

The same applies for a batsman trying to regain ground to avoid being stumped.

And a batsman can now be out caught, stumped or run out if the ball bounces off a helmet worn by a fielder or wicketkeeper.