Australia's confidence heading into the first Test against Pakistan may have less to do with their imposing record at the Gabba and more to do with the bond the players forged during a torrid Ashes campaign in England.

The storylines are strikingly familiar whenever the Australians roll into Brisbane. You can set your clock by the 'Will they play four quicks?' story, something spinner Nathan Lyon knows all too well, as well as the reminder that they haven't dropped a Test there since the late '80s.

But the spring in their step before the contest with Pakistan stems from more recent history. Lyon said Australia's shared experiences across the English summer, when they retained the Ashes at the end of a dramatic and draining series, had put them in a strong position before the domestic Test campaign, which begins on Thursday.

Nathan Lyon during this year's Ashes. Credit:Getty Images

"From our experiences in England, it's been absolutely incredible. To gel as we have over there, it's been exceptional," Lyon said. "That squad is pretty much the same, those guys performed really well over there.