Ian Bell says Edgbaston home crowd helped him rediscover form

Ian Bell admits his barren run of form prior to the third Investec Ashes Test was one of the most challenging periods of his career.

Bell's position in the England side was called into question after scores of one and 11 in the second Test at Lord's left him with an average of just 20.84 from seven Test matches this year.

But the 113-Test veteran responded at Edgbaston with scores of 53 and 63 as England beat Australia by eight wickets to win the third Test and take a 2-1 lead in the series.

"When things started to get to that point where people were saying this might be my last Test match, I actually got into a simpler, much better mindset," Bell told the BBC.

"I was going to go out there and give it absolutely everything and what will be, will be. It's been really tough. You go in and out of form, and sometimes you don't know where the next run is coming from and I honestly did feel like that at times."

The Warwickshire batsman also singled out the support from his home crowd as helping him end his personal slump and turn around his form.

"It was nice to come to Edgbaston," he said. "We've had incredible support as a team, but as a local player I felt like when I walked out to bat in particular on day one it was the best applause I've ever got in my career, and I felt that the whole crowd was with me and desperate for me to do well."

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Bell insists England are ready for a response from Australia, who bounced back from defeat in the first Test at Cardiff to thrash England by 405 runs in the second Test at Lord's.

"We fully expect Australia to come back hard, if not harder," he said. "We have to front up again like we did at Edgbaston."

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