England batsman Jason Roy is eager to regain his spot in the Test team after facing the axe quite early in his red-ball career.

The South African-born made his Test debut for England in the one-off encounter with Ireland at Lord’s last year and played the first four Ashes Test matches against Australia that followed before being dropped for the fifth match at The Oval.

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187 runs in those 10 innings spelled omission from the squads for New Zealand, South Africa and Sri Lanka in the months that followed, something that Roy admits was ‘heartbreaking’ to endure.

‘I’ve worked very hard to try and crack Test cricket, and for it to get taken away from me that quickly was heartbreaking. I’m going to be trying my hardest to get back into the side and prove myself,’ said the opening batsman.

‘Scoring a weight of runs in white-ball cricket and then not being able to do that in Test cricket was upsetting, because I really felt like I could. I still feel like I can. Everyone wants to be a Test cricketer. I’ve been selected, but I want to succeed.’

Roy was a key part of England’s successful World Cup campaign last year and has become known for his explosive and aggressive batting at the top of the order.

But, he failed to carry that form and rhythm into the Test format and was exposed on various occasions by the Australian bowlers throughout the Ashes.

‘The Ashes series was a very tough time. It was absolutely ridiculous, I’ve never felt so high and so low in such a short period.

‘It brings back some strange emotions now even thinking back to it, but it is part of being a professional sportsman. You’ve got to overcome these sorts of bumps,’ Roy said.