Today was about triumph but Sam Curran has known tragedy early in his life when he lost his father, an episode that moulded him into a cricketer of steely resolve.

The youngster attributed his leading role in England's victory in the opening Test to the experience of losing his father as a teenager and playing cricket with his brothers. "It has been pretty tough," Curran told reporters when asked about the death of his father. "I was still young when it did happen, but I've got a very strong family -- both my brothers, we're all very close, and my mum's very supportive of all our cricket. I think it made us stronger as a family and me stronger as a person."