Joe Root insists England will not stoop to Australia's level in second Ashes Test

Australia are prepared to do whatever it takes to win the Ashes but Joe Root insists England will not stoop to their level.

England were angry at Australia’s behaviour during the First Test at Brisbane, particularly towards Jonny Bairstow. Bairstow was found to have aimed a jocular ‘headbutt’ at Australia opener Cameron Bancroft in a Perth bar four weeks ago, with the story emerging on the fourth day of the Gabba Test, which Australia won by 10 wickets to go 1-0 up in the series.

The Second Test, the first day/night clash in Ashes history, starts at The Adelaide Oval on Saturday.

England team director Andrew Strauss imposed a midnight curfew on the team for the rest of the tour, but players believe the Bairstow/Bancroft story was part of a campaign to unsettle them.

The sight of Australia captain Steve Smith laughing at the post-match press conference, as Bancroft told the story of his encounter with Bairstow, made England even more annoyed.

Root said: “If that is not motivation to the players I don’t know what is. To see a reaction like that in the press conference…if it can’t get you up for the game then I don’t know what can.

“[In terms of the line you don’t cross on the field] I think their line and our line are slightly different things – let’s leave it at that. The thing that is on my mind at the moment is how we respond to it and make sure we do it in our way, not getting dragged in to doing it in their way.”

Root believes Australia’s sledging of Bairstow – and he was by far from the only target – fits a pattern of behaviour that has characterised Australian teams playing at home in recent times.

The England captain cited the cases of South Africa captain Faf Du Plessis, who was found guilty of ball tampering during a Test against Australia at Hobart last year, and Jonathan Trott, a previous target of Australian verbals, to support his argument.

Trott went home after the first match of the 2013-14 series with a stress-related condition but was derided in the post-play press conference by Australia batsman David Warner – who did not, at the time, know that Trott was unwell.

“This is something you expect when you come to Australia now,” said Root. “You look at Faf-gate last year, and there were comments on the 2013-14 tour as well with Trotty and other players.

“It is part of touring Australia now, I think. It is a strategy they use on occasion and we have to move forward as a team. We all know it was blown out of proportion. The last week or so, especially the Bairstow saga, have been an attempt at derailing [England] from Australia.

“That’s not how we roll or how we operate as a team. I think it is very important we continue to play this tour in the manner that we have gone about it so far and that we don’t get involved in petty disputes and arguments that are nothing to do with cricket.

“Everything has been dealt with really well and if anything it has brought the guys closer together. It is really important that we look after each other.

“I think that has been a big strength of ours and a big focus of ours, since and before I took over, and it’s been great to see lads doing everything they can to make sure Jonny is ok and make sure as a group we’re all ok as well.”