Now we’re playing to put the smiles back on the faces of our brilliant fans
We came into this series with genuine hopes of winning the Ashes, and even though we’ve played some decent cricket we haven’t played it for long enough.
It is difficult to describe the feeling in the dressing room after we lost in Perth to go three down. everyone was quiet. There was a sombre atmosphere.
You just do not go into a big series like this thinking of losing. People might have considered us underdogs but that is not how we saw it.
You have to congratulate Australia because they have played very well. They won the key moments. The way Steve Smith has played throughout the series has been very impressive and their three quick bowlers just blew us away in the first innings in Perth. You have to say well done to them.
TOP OF MY TONS
BuT my century in Perth was hugely satisfying. You look back at the times when people have questioned you and to score an Ashes century in Australia at the WACA, one of the quickest pitches in the world, makes this one of my best innings. It has to be the best of my Test hundreds, that’s for sure.
The average speed of their attack was 142.9kph (almost 89mph), I believe, so to score a hundred against that bowling when we were 131 for four made me very chuffed. It is the fastest sustained bowling I have faced and it is a huge test of technique and skill.
You could tell how much it meant to me to reach three figures. There was the standard jump when I did not really know what was going on and the look to the heavens when you think of those who could not be there.
As a young kid you stay up late to watch the Ashes, getting told off for not being in bed, and dream of making a hundred against Australia.
I hope my hundred inspires the next generation as I was inspired watching back then.
A NUDGE AND A WINK
And yes there was a nudge — not a headbutt, you understand — for my helmet too. It was spontaneous, just my attempt at humour after all that has happened on this tour and I think people took it in the right way.
The number of messages I got about it certainly made me think I’d made a few laugh. The Aussies didn’t say anything to me this time other than well played but hopefully they were having a chuckle deep down too.
I reckon dawid Malan and I were about four overs away during our partnership from breaking Australia open. We were that close.
That makes it even more frustrating that the Ashes have gone. We had a second glance and the innings was over. You can analyse it all you want. We still had three and a half days to get back into the Test and we didn’t do it.
WATERY END
The laws say that a pitch must be in the same condition at the start of play as the night before so the end of the third Test was all a bit strange.
Groundstaff on their knees on the pitch with those leaf blowers trying to dry out the water that had leaked on to the surface overnight was something I have not seen before.
So was the pitch in the same condition at the start of the last day? That was for the umpires to decide and it is what it is. We cannot be bitter about that and we are not going to make excuses but what I do know is that the first ball I received on the last day went under my bat. I cannot say it hit a damp spot because the truth is I don’t know.
The bottom line is Josh hazlewood got me out but I do not think there was much I could do about that one.
DIFFERENT TIMES
We MAY be three down after three Tests, just as we were last time in Australia, but it feels different this time.
Four years ago Graeme Swann retired after Perth and there was a lot of other stuff going on. The atmosphere in the squad is really good this time. The spirit is excellent.
We are still in a good place. All the boys are together and the families have arrived now which gives everyone a boost. I would also like to say that our coach, Trevor Bayliss, and captain Joe Root have been excellent. It is unfair for them to get any particular flak. not many teams win in Australia. In fact, not many away teams win any Test series. Australia have found it just as hard to win in england. We wanted to buck that trend, like we did in South Africa two winters ago, but we have been unable to. It doesn’t make us a bad team and no one should get any extra blame.
FANTASTIC SPECTACLE
The ASheS have gone but there is plenty to play for, starting with the fantastic spectacle of the Boxing day Test at the MCG. We need to start again, really look forward to it and relish the occasion.
I do not think anyone can question the effort we have put in and the guts we have shown — for example, just look at the way Mark Stoneman played in Perth — but our challenge now is to get something out of this series.
There will be more than 90,000 people there on Boxing day and thousands will be england supporters.
As usual, they have been magnificent so far in this series and we want to give something back to them.
My mum and sister will be here for the game and as they missed my century in Perth I would really like to score another now. We will be training on Christmas morning, which will be a bit surreal, and then it’s back to business for what remains an extremely important game.
Merry Christmas to you all and we very much hope to give you something to smile about from Boxing day onwards.