Joe Root sounded relaxed as his side prepared for Thursday's crucial second Test in Adelaide, but behind a velvet exterior was a message of pure steel — this time, there are no excuses.
England have spent the days since their sobering nine-wicket defeat at the Gabba reassuring themselves that a combination of factors conspired against them —insufficient preparation, inhospitable conditions, incompetent catching, inadequate batting.
The next week may tell us whether they are deluding themselves, whether they are refusing to face a less palatable truth — namely that Australia, in these conditions, are simply better than they are. It is not an avenue Root can afford to explore.
Joe Root sounded relaxed as his side prepared for Thursday's crucial second Test in Adelaide
England have reassured themselves factors conspired against them in Brisbane defeat
'We're in the series now,' he insisted. 'All the batters faced pretty much all of their bowlers. Our bowlers have got good work into them. We know it's not going to get more difficult than that first day at Brisbane, so there's no excuses going forward.'
On the face of it, a pink-ball Test — with the opportunities it offers swing bowlers when the floodlights are on — is just what England need to make it 1-1. Australia, on the other hand, may argue they are strong favourites to make it 2-0.
They have played eight floodlit Tests since staging the first against New Zealand six years ago and have won the lot — five of them at Adelaide and most by big margins, including their 120-run victory over England in 2017-18. No other Test team have played more than four pink-ball games.
The Australians look formidable even without injured fast bowler Josh Hazlewood (above)
Even without the injured Josh Hazlewood, the Australians look formidable, although it was fair of Root to point out that he is 'a big part of their success in these conditions in particular'.
For England's captain, this Test looms as make or break. Victory will keep the series alive and put a stop — however temporary — to local ridicule. Defeat does not bear thinking about. Only one team have come from 2-0 down to win the Ashes and that was Australia in 1936-37, helped by Don Bradman.
Much was made in the summer of Root's 27th Test win as captain, passing his old mentor Michael Vaughan's national record. But if Australia win here, Root will make another kind of history — surpassing Alastair Cook as England's most-defeated leader with 23.
Perhaps understandably, he preferred to focus on the positives. 'Any Ashes game is a big game,' he said. 'But it would be a great one to win, to lay a marker down for the rest of the series and show the character that's in the dressing room.'
