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BRISBANE - England captain Andrew Flintoff says his team are still confident of retaining the Ashes despite losing the first test of the five-match series by 277 runs yesterday.
Flintoff admitted his players had underperformed at the Gabba but said he had seen enough positive signs to indicate the series against Australia was anything but a foregone conclusion.
England were given no hope of winning the last Ashes series, in 2005, after they were thrashed in the first test at Lord's and Flintoff said his team would be drawing on that experience after such a comprehensive defeat.
"Obviously, we're disappointed we've gone 1-0 down but there's some character in that room," he said.
"It'll be tough to come from 1-0 down, we can't hide about that. [But] we've been in this position before."
England were comprehensively outplayed over the first three days in Brisbane and in danger of a humiliating defeat after Australia racked up 602 for nine, bowled the tourists out for just 157 and piled on 202 for one after resisting the option to enforce the follow on.
The match seemed certain to finish early when England lost three quick wickets before Paul Collingwood made 96 and Kevin Pietersen 92 to hold the Australians at bay for three hours to force the match into a fifth day.
Australia managed to wrap up victory 90 minutes into yesterday's first session when England lost their last five wickets for 77, but Flintoff said the fightback was proof his team were not pushovers.
"Over the past 24 hours we salvaged something from the game," he said.
"The way Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood played yesterday, that partnership showed what good players they are and took a bit of pride from the game for us.
"This was a big game for us and maybe at the start there were a few nerves knocking around because it took us time to get into the test match, but we've experienced that now and we can go into the next match knowing how hard Australia will come at us."
England will have little time to reflect on their loss with the second test starting in Adelaide on Friday but Flintoff said the quick turnaround was a blessing in disguise.
"It's not a bad thing, a test match coming around straight away. We can sink our teeth into it," he said.
"We can't mope around, we've got four test matches and, to be thrown into another one at this stage, is probably the best thing that could happen."
Flintoff, who took four wickets and scored 16 runs in the match, also played down suggestions his team's nervous start was a result of their rushed preparation.
The team arrived in Australia three weeks ago and played a one-day game and two three-day matches before the first test.
"Everyone's saying we didn't have enough preparation but I'm pleased where I'm at and, if you asked the rest of the lads, they'd say the same thing," Flintoff said.
"All the bowlers on this trip have got plenty of miles in their legs. The bulk of us were in India for four or five weeks.
"We just need to score more runs and need to take 20 wickets."
Australian captain Ricky Ponting said it was a pleasing start.
"But it was the same in the last series, we won the first game and then things went wrong so we won't be getting carried away."
Ponting paid tribute to the performances of experienced seam bowler Glenn McGrath and opening batsman Justin Langer.
"Glenn did a fantastic job, his bowling in the first innings was superb. Justin Langer the same, he got the job done for us."
- REUTERS
