Test captain Joe Root is confident England’s solid stretch of form during the World Cup will yield positive results during the Ashes series later this year.

England finished among the top four teams after round-robin stage of the 2019 World Cup – and beat Australia in the semi-final and New Zealand in the final. Root was England’s leading run-scorer at the World Cup, with 556 in 11 innings at an average of almost 62.

Their five-Test series against the Australians will get under way in early August.

‘Having achieved what we’ve achieved here, there will be talk about us going one step better and picking ourselves up off the back of it,’ said Root.

‘Ultimately, the confidence this will give the guys to take into a series like that – especially the way we’ve played against Australia at Edgbaston in that semi – the guys involved will relish that and want more of that.’

Australia are the reigning Ashes champions, and Root is looking forward to another staunch battle with England’s arch-rivals.

‘To potentially be able to experience all that again is very exciting. It’s always so special. The atmosphere, the way it builds up, and the way the guys get excited about it, it’s like no other series in Test cricket,’ he added.

‘It’s something I’m really looking forward to, and it’ll be massive, especially on the back of this. It’ll make it even bigger.’

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