England will enter this summer's Ashes series convinced their recent success has given them the self-belief and resolve to finally pose a realistic challenge to Australia.

Since Allan Border's Australians arrived in 1989 as underdogs and cruised to an emphatic 4-0 series victory, England have consistently suffered with an inferiority complex against their Antipodean rivals and failed to match both their desire and self-confidence.

As each series passed with yet another Australian victory, so England's players became more accustomed to defeat as firstly Border, then Mark Taylor and now Steve Waugh have taken them to bigger and better heights of achievement.

Yet as England prepare to welcome their oldest adversary at the end of this month, they do so having finally found the elusive habit of winning on a consistent basis having secured three successive Test victories for the first time in four years.

Should they extend that run to four in succession it will be the first time they have achieved such a feat in ten years since beating West Indies at the Oval, Sri Lanka at Lord's and the first two Tests of the winter series in New Zealand.

''We're a good side, we have character, we have experience and we've got the habit of winning at the moment and if we can keep it going, it does make a difference,'' conceded fast bowler Darren Gough.

''It's just like Manchester United in football, who've had a decent run over the last few years and they believe they are going to win the league every year.

''They have that belief and if you have that, you will take some beating. The last few Test matches, with the wins in Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the win at Lord's in the first Test of the summer when the pressure was on us to perform, has given us that.''

Gough's partnership with Caddick has been central to that winning run with the pair taking their tally in the 14 Tests since the introduction of central contracts to 116 wickets.

Their success has also earned them recognition internationally with Gough moving up to fourth in the world rankings following his eight-wicket match haul during the innings victory over Pakistan, the highest rating for an English bowler since Bob Willis in 1983.

Caddick is now up to ninth, but a measure of the task ahead of England this summer is underlined by the number of Australians in the top ten with Glenn McGrath still rated as the undisputed number one bowler while Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee are joint seventh and Steve Waugh remains the second rated batsman in the world.

As much as England are enjoying their revival, though, they know the battle ahead remains their big Test a fact underlined by the celebratory talk after Sunday's emphatic victory over Pakistan being dominated by the forthcoming arrival of Australia.

''We're all thinking about it because it's always being brought up,'' conceded Gough.

''The Ashes are on people's minds, but we're also playing Pakistan and everybody seems to have forgotten that they were the second best team in the world 18 months ago.''

For all Gough's proud rhetoric about the England line-up, though, he is realistic enough to concede that they may still have some way to go before they can challenge Australia on an equal basis despite their recent defeat in India.

''If they outplay us this summer we can't do anything about that because they're still the best team, but if we can compete like we have been doing then they'll have a fight on their hands," he added.