Brisbane heroics will inspire England to win Ashes series: Strauss

LONDON - England captain Andrew Strauss believes that his team has gained momentum for the second Ashes Test in Adelaide after battling their way to a draw in the series opener in Brisbane.

England’s fightback with the bat came after Australia took a handsome 221-run lead on the first innings.

Alistair Cook hit a career-best 235 not out, while Jonathan Trott made an unbeaten 135, as merciless England scored a record 517-1 in their second innings to see off the prospect of defeat.

“To come back in the match and draw it, we’ve got a belief we can go on and win the series from here,” the BBC quoted Strauss, as saying.

“We’ll have a spring in our step going to Adelaide, but we have to transfer that to the pitch,” he added.

The skipper also described Cook’s double century, the cornerstone of England’s second innings as “one of the best hundreds I’ve seen by an England player”.The concentration to see it through for such a long time, it was one of the really special innings by an England player,” Strauss said.

Cook’s double century was the sixth best Ashes score by an Englishman, and he also surpassed Sir Don Bradman for the highest score at the Gabba.

The second match of the five-Test match series will be held in Adelaide from December 3. (ANI)