England refreshed and ready to retain Ashes in Boxing Day Ashes Test: Trott

MELBOURNE - The England team is ready to secure the Ashes in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, according to middle-order batsman Jonathan Trott.

In a write-up for the Telegraph, Trott said that the preparation for the fourth encounter between the two cricketing rivals has been fantastic.

“We have the chance to retain the Ashes. By losing in Perth the series is set up nicely, but that was not our intention. We would have liked it to be decided by now, but that is not the case,” Trott said.

“We knew Australia would come back at us hard. That is their way. Everyone is fine and upbeat. Losing happens. No one has the divine right to win Test matches and for us to do well someone else has to fail.”

“The tour had been relatively smooth and a jolt was expected. But we had a long chat in Perth after the Test and worked out a few things and put the Test to bed. We talked about a few core issues and we will be ready for the MCG, trust me,” he added.

Victory in the fourth Test will be enough for England to keep the urn, but the momentum has swung towards Australia after their 267 run win in the third Test at Perth’s WACA Ground. (ANI)