MELBOURNE – Captain Andrew Strauss savoured the feeling of demons being banished on Wednesday as England sealed the Ashes, but said the landmark achievement was just one step on the way to cricket’s summit for England.
Strauss was a member of the team that was whitewashed 5-0 on the previous tour and while it was the “lowest point” of his career, Australia’s use of stifling pressure four years ago had been studied and successfully turned back on the hosts, he said.
Strauss lavished plaudits equally on players and coaching staff, and said there was no “secret ingredient” to England’s success in Australia, where they have forged an unassailable 2-1 lead in the current five-test series.
But the England captain said the team’s ability to build big scores was given a jolt of confidence after the drawn first test in Brisbane, where Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott teamed for a record 329-run partnership at the Gabba.
Their bowlers had also proved a revelation throughout the series, Strauss added, paying tribute to replacement seamers Chris Tremlett and Tim Bresnan, and their Australian bowling coach David Saker, for having them slot into the side and take wickets immediately.
Strauss said the team would enjoy their success in the evening but was already thinking ahead to bigger and better things. “I think we can, but not overnight,” said Strauss, when asked whether he thought his current team could reach number one in the world rankings.
“English cricket is not just about winning the Ashes. We’ve got to try to look forward to the future and try to get our team up those rankings and hopefully to world number one at some stage.”
“That’s the ultimate goal for us and we’ve got a lot of small steps on the way for us, including India next summer.”
