Batting coach Marcus Trescothick has said he wishes England "were going into the Ashes next week", with Ben Stokes' side enjoying great success playing a new positive and aggressive brand of Test cricket that has been dubbed 'Bazball' after new coach Brendon McCullum.
Since McCullum and Stokes took over, they have transformed England from a team that had won just one of their last 17 Test matches into one that has now won seven in eight. They played fearless cricket this summer against New Zealand, India and South Africa, before recording one of their greatest wins against Pakistan in the first Test in Rawalpindi.
England broke all kinds of records as they scored 657 runs at 6.5 an over in the first innings and then 264 at 7.36 in the second before boldly declaring. Perhaps most impressively, though, they managed to prise out 20 wickets on what was an incredibly lifeless pitch.
And Trescothick has admitted the way England are playing right now makes it very "exciting" ahead of next summer's home Ashes series against rivals Australia. "It is the exciting part [the Ashes]," Trescothick said.
"I wish we were going into the Ashes next week. If it continues on in this form then it bodes for a great series.
"As we say we do not look too far ahead in what is going on. But it is exciting, no doubt about it, because India series and Ashes series are the pinnacle of what we do in Test cricket."
Trescothick himself was a naturally attacking opener in his heyday, scoring 5,825 Test runs at an average of 43.79, and believes he would have thrived in the current setup. "I would have loved to [have played in this England team]," he added.
"Any batter would have loved this – apart from probably Paul Collingwood! We would have loved this environment because it is so free. It is enjoyable, the methods and way we are talking about it in the changing room is exciting.
"You want to come out here every day, walk out with them and have the opportunity to bat. It is still great watching from the balcony and seeing what they do."
