Cook wants England to retain recipe for success
Friday, 24 August 2007
SOUTHAMPTON, Aug 23 (AFP): Alastair Cook has warned England's 104-run thrashing of India in their one-day opener will count for little unless they back it up during the remaining six games of the series.
England's best limited overs display since before the World Cup saw Cook and Ian Bell both score maiden centuries at this level.
Then James Anderson took his turn to shine under the Rose Bowl floodlights with a career- best return.
Add in that Monty Panesar, much maligned for his fielding, was involved in the run out of Sourav Ganguly while under-pressure wicket-keeper Matt Prior took a superb legside catch and it was easy to see why India captain Rahul Dravid thought England had played the "perfect" game.
Earlier this year England won four successive matches to take the triangular series in Australia only to lose their next, more important one-day fixture - a World Cup opener against New Zealand in St Lucia.
And last month they surrendered a 1-0 lead at home to the West Indies in a one-day series they eventually lost 2-1.
Cook, who laid the platform for Tuesday's thumping win with a patient 102, said: "The ability to tough out a result when you're up against it is a skill that good teams have, it is what Australia have done for so long and it really only comes with the experience of winning matches.''
"That is the next challenge for us," said the 22-year-old opening batsman.
Cook, speaking ahead of Friday's second match against India, a day/nighter in Bristol, said consistency was the key to England improving their low standing in one-day cricket.
"There is no point putting in one performance like that with two hundreds and then forgetting about it," he said.
England will again be without left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom for Friday's match and Monday's third fixture at Edgbaston after he failed to overcome the left side strain he sustained during the third and final Test against India at The Oval nearly two weeks ago.
England's best limited overs display since before the World Cup saw Cook and Ian Bell both score maiden centuries at this level.
Then James Anderson took his turn to shine under the Rose Bowl floodlights with a career- best return.
Add in that Monty Panesar, much maligned for his fielding, was involved in the run out of Sourav Ganguly while under-pressure wicket-keeper Matt Prior took a superb legside catch and it was easy to see why India captain Rahul Dravid thought England had played the "perfect" game.
Earlier this year England won four successive matches to take the triangular series in Australia only to lose their next, more important one-day fixture - a World Cup opener against New Zealand in St Lucia.
And last month they surrendered a 1-0 lead at home to the West Indies in a one-day series they eventually lost 2-1.
Cook, who laid the platform for Tuesday's thumping win with a patient 102, said: "The ability to tough out a result when you're up against it is a skill that good teams have, it is what Australia have done for so long and it really only comes with the experience of winning matches.''
"That is the next challenge for us," said the 22-year-old opening batsman.
Cook, speaking ahead of Friday's second match against India, a day/nighter in Bristol, said consistency was the key to England improving their low standing in one-day cricket.
"There is no point putting in one performance like that with two hundreds and then forgetting about it," he said.
England will again be without left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom for Friday's match and Monday's third fixture at Edgbaston after he failed to overcome the left side strain he sustained during the third and final Test against India at The Oval nearly two weeks ago.