Joe Root has promised England cricket fans a response from his players in the Boxing Day Test following two miserable efforts so far.
Root reckons it will be well worth fans staying up for the action after the turkey has hit their tummies on Christmas Day.
And rather than the video nasty he had to share with his batsmen in Adelaide, it will be a performance of technicolour beauty sparked by a desire to prove a point.
“I would say I expect a response from our players and I would like to bring a nice Christmas present home for everyone who stays up,” said Root.
“There is plenty of motivation for the group and we are doing everything we can to make sure it is 2-1 by the time we leave here.
“Whenever you go 2-0 down in a five match series it is always tough and we have to show resilience and not feel sorry for ourselves.
“Instead prove a point and show we are a far better team than what we have provided at the start.”
And Root himself is confident he can continue to lead the charge from the front with the bat and finally collect the Ashes hundred Down Under that he craves.
“I'm confident that in these next three games I can bang out a hundred in these conditions,” he added. “I feel in a really good place with my batting.
“I know that's a brave thing to say but that conversion rate, this year, it's not been an issue at all.
“There's clarity there, I just need to keep putting myself in those positions, just have the bit between my teeth and say ‘over my dead body.’
