Tim Bresnan - Ashes Tour Diary: This group of players do not lack the heart to fight back

It is that chance to do something incredibly special, that extra motivation for a hurting squad, that is driving us on as we look to put things right in the third Test at Perth.

No England side has ever come back from 2-0 down to the win the Ashes.

We want to be the team that makes history.

When you look at it, we’ve had some amazing achievements during Andy’s tenure.

We’ve won three successive Ashes series and are going for a fourth, we’ve won a Test series away to India, we’ve won the Twenty20 World Cup – you name it.

Andy’s achievements have been phenomenal and this team has achieved some phenomenal things.

It gives us the belief we can do it again.

Of course, we want to turn this series around for Andy and all the coaching staff.

The support they give us is fantastic and we’re a close-knit bunch. But, ultimately, we’ve been letting ourselves down as players and it’s up to the 11 on the field to turn this around.

It’s up to each and every individual to find the answers and make the improvements.

I know that some people back home have probably written us off.

I can understand that; we haven’t played well in the first two Tests and everyone is entitled to their opinion.

You expect all the plaudits when you’re doing well, so you’ve got to accept all the criticism when you’re not doing well.

And, I admit, it’s going to be an unbelievable ask to do it from here. But I can assure you that no one in that changing room has thrown in the towel, and as much as everyone is entitled to their opinion, one thing I will say is that the players in that dressing room do not lack fight.

I can tell you, as someone who is inside the environment, that no one – absolutely no one – lacks the passion to do well for England.

On the contrary, we’re desperate to perform for our country and no one is more disappointed than the players about the way things have gone.

We all know there’s a queue a mile long to play for England, and the lads in possession of the shirts are hurting right now.

Yes, it’s tough at the moment, and Australia have really put us under the microscope in the first two Tests, but, at the same time, there’s no point dwelling on the past.

The past has gone and we’ve got to look forward; there’s nothing to be gained by constantly going over tired old ground.

We took the first step towards getting the disappointment of the defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide out of our system on the very first day of training in Perth.

To be honest, it was the most intense practice that I’ve ever known, and I can tell you that our practices are very intense.

The batters were not just trying to look pretty, whacking it halfway up the side netting and saying to themselves, “Oh, that’s found a gap in the field.”

No, it was proper cricket, fiercely determined cricket, and it’s the kind of spirit we’ve got to take into the middle.

Of course, we’re fiercely determined before every Test match; it’s just that there seems to be even more determination within the camp now.

As one of the players, I can just sense that’s the case.

We all know that we’ve taken a bit of a hit in the last couple of weeks.

You’ve got to give some credit to Australia; they’ve played well and we need to be better.

The batters might have to get some ugly runs at times, and the bowlers will have to work hard and stick to their plans, and we need to raise our game overall.

It’s a cliche, but the players haven’t become bad players overnight, and they’re players of proven quality and character.

Of course, as players, it’s no secret that we like to emphasise the positives, and there were some positives to take from that last Test in Adelaide.

Joe Root, for example, showed some true Yorkshire grit with his terrific knock of 87 in the second innings.

Rooty got his head down in that second dig and worked really hard to see off the new ball and come through the battle.

The shot he got out to – caught by the wicketkeeper diving forward after Rooty edged the ball into his own thigh pad – was very unfortunate; if he played that shot 100 times, it would probably only get him out once.

There were also positives in the performances of Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior.

Kev made a fine fifty in the second innings, while Matty hit a gutsy 60-odd.

He has come under a lot of pressure lately, but I thought that knock was magnificent and he really took the fight to Australia in that second innings.

As a batsman, you need to be brave not just in a physical sense when the ball is whistling past your ears, but in the decisions that you make and the shots that you play, and Matty, I thought, was incredibly brave.

For my own part, it goes without saying that I would dearly love to play at Perth.

It’s been incredibly frustrating to have missed out on the first two Tests and I would love to have the chance to help us fight our way back into the series.

As ever, you can only wait and see what happens and keep your fingers crossed that you get the call. I’m certainly doing everything I can in training to put myself in the frame.

Finally, it’s great to have my family here in Australia now.

The lads’ families have joined the tour and it’s given everyone a lift. My little son, Max, is two months older than when I first saw him and he’s changed quite a bit during that time.

He’s a bit too young to strap on the pads just yet, but we might get him a set of golf clubs before much longer.