Root: No easy ride vs Oz, show character

PERTH: Captain Joe Root on Friday urged England to show “character” under an expected Ashes barrage in Australia as he dismissed comparisons with the horror tour of 2013.

Root said England were “completely different” from the team thrashed 5-0 on their last visit and should dwell on their Ashes victory on home soil in 2015.

“There’s been a lot of talk about last time around (in Australia),” Root told reporters.

“We were a completely different side, and so were they (Australia).

“Of course, they will try to bring up all sorts of stuff like that.

“We’ve played a lot of cricket since then, and we’ve played against Australia since then as well -- and that went quite well for us.

“Hopefully, we will be able to do the same.”

Australian players have been keen to talk up England’s struggles in 2013, when they were terrorised by the Mitchell Johnsonled pace attack.

“Whenever you play any Australian opponent you don’t expect an easy ride,” said Root.

“They’ll want to prove a point and judge themselves against international quality and for us it is about trying to take advantage of getting in or bowling with good rhythm and capitalise on that.”

“We are going to have to play well as a side, show a lot of character as a group and there can’t be any selfish mentality out in the middle,” he said.