Ashes Winter Tour 2013
England leave for Australia on Wednesday seeking a fourth successive Ashes series win
England’s batsmen must find their form if the team are to retain the Ashes in Australia, says captain Alastair Cook. Openers Cook and Joe Root plus number three Jonathan Trott struggled as the hosts relied heavily on their bowlers to secure a 3-0 victory in the summer.
“Top-order runs are vitally important down under,” said Cook. “400 is the bare minimum to get in the game, so that is the job of the top order.” England failed to post a total of 400 or more in any innings during the 2013 Ashes, a feat they achieved four times in seven innings in the 2010-11 series
England captain Alastair Cook says his side will not try to repeat the tactics and approach which earned them success that last time they were in Australia.
Cook was instrumental in a 3-1 Ashes series victory in 2010/11, but having since assumed the captaincy from Andrew Strauss, feels that a slightly different approach will be needed Down Under.
We have to do what’s right for now.
Alastair Cook
He told the ECB website: “When we started on that tour we weren’t favourites. People thought we could win if we played well.
“We played very well. That winter and the next summer were probably the best standard of cricket that I’ve been involved in in an England side. To win three matches over there by an innings was an incredible achievement.
“We can’t use that as a blueprint. We can’t say ‘well that’s what we did then’. Times have changed, we’ve got different players.
“We have to do what’s right for now. Certainly there were some good lessons from that tour which we’d be foolish not to use.”
Having won three Ashes series on the trot, England are 1/1 to make it four in a row, with a draw 9/2.
Australia are 7/4 to win The Ashes series, with England priced at 1/1. Michael Clarke is 9/4 to be Australia’s top run-scorer in the series.
Cook, who scored a massive 766 runs in the last Ashes series in Australia and is 11/4 to be England’s leading batsman this time around, with Ian Bell available at 9/2.
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