Trott warns Ashes triumph is only the beginning
England batsman Jonathan Trott believes an Ashes victory on Australian soil is just the start of what the team can go on to achieve.
Trott played a key role in ensuring England emerged 3-1 victors over their arch-rivals, securing their first Test series success Down Under for 24 years. While many have been quick to revel in the success, Trott believes his teammates have made sure they have not been caught up in the euphoria.
"I know this will sound a bit blasé, but winning the Ashes is just a stepping stone to where we want to go," Trott told The Guardian. "An important point was made after the last Test when someone said that in 2005 England thought winning the Ashes was the be-all and end-all. This team just doesn't think like that. We don't want to stand still."
Being thousands of miles away from the hub of English celebrations has perhaps shielded the team from the magnitude of their success, and Trott - who scored 48 to complement Ian Bell's century as England beat a Prime Minister's XI on Monday, believes the achievement will probably only fully sink in when his playing days come to an end.
"Obviously we know how important it is to ourselves, as a team," Trott said. "But we probably don't quite grasp the size of the feat we've achieved - or really appreciate what it means to people. It might only hit me when I've retired."
That doesn't mean Andrew Strauss' squad are taking their historic success lightly. On the contrary, Trott believes it is exactly that attitude, along with a successful build-up, that helped the team to such success with both bat and ball.
"You only get nervous when you haven't prepared," Trott said. "It's a bit like being at school when you haven't studied for an exam. But if you're prepared, it's fine. Ashley Giles [Trott's coach at Warwickshire] always says: 'Train hard, play easy.' We have that attitude drilled into us at England and that's why we have a sense of freedom in the middle."
Batting at No. 3, Trott proved himself a key part of the batting line-up, building on a debut century at the Oval in the prior Ashes series to once again cause the Australian bowlers problems. An unbeaten 168 in Melbourne elevated him to third in the batting rankings - a public acknowledgement of his achievements - but the South African-born batsman is not concerned by such plaudits.
"Belly [Ian Bell] came up to me and said, 'Well done - world No. 3!' I just laughed," Trott said. "I can't take it too seriously. There are so many great batsmen out there and I've got a long way to go."
Despite Trott's performances, it was another batsman, opener Alastair Cook, who stole the majority of the limelight. The leading run scorer in the series with over 700, Trott praised his teammate, and admitted they share a style of play that makes them effective as a partnership.
"We're very similar, me and Cooky," Trott said. "We're nudgers and nurdlers, and quite intense, so we speak a lot. I'm always one for winning small battles - five runs here, 10 there. That's how Cooky and I talk, in a very concentrated way. But he batted brilliantly all the way through.
"It's amazing how sport turns around; and what you're capable of if you get your mind right."
Now the attention turns to the one-day series against Australia, in preparation for the forthcoming World Cup in India in early April. Winning that trophy is the new target for a focused England.
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