Taunton: Jonathan Trott says that giving up alcohol has played a big role in his recent success.

The Warwickshire and England batsman is averaging over 60 in Test cricket and is facing one of his most testing examinations against India, ranked No. 1 in the world. But he says having a clear head has helped him rise to the position of fourth place on the ICC Test rankings

“I used to go nuts and it affected the image people had of me. It used to cloud my judgement, not just that night, but for days afterwards,” he said. “I still have the occasional beer or glass of wine but, when it comes to nights out, you probably won’t find me around them.

“It can be quite tough but the guys in the team understand. In the past, I’d have been at the front of the queue [for a drink].

“But I honestly don’t think I’d be sitting here today if I did still drink.

“My ambition was always to play international cricket, to test myself against the best. I want to be the best I can be, to constantly improve. Andy [Flower, the head coach] wouldn’t let me rest on my laurels anyway.”

Trott believes he is capable of upping the tempo after his rate of scoring has come under microscope.

He scored an impressive 72 in the fifth and decisive one-day International against Sri Lanka, but his critics continue to point to his scoring rate, particularly in 50-over cricket, where he has a strike-rate of 78.40 per 100 balls in 30 matches.

“It’s something I’m working on with Andy and Graham [Gooch, the England batting coach],” he said. “It’s about weighing up the best option. Sometimes I err on the side of caution too much.

“Five days is a long time. As in 50-over cricket as well, you can sometimes think, ‘I’ve got to get on with it a bit.’

“You’ve got to weigh up the option of putting your foot down a bit more and leaving it up to someone else. I’m very wary of that. My job at No.3 in the England team is to bat as long as possible and get the most runs.

“Sometimes it might go a bit slowly, but also I know the right time to up the ante.”

The first Test against India begins at Lord’s from July 21.