Former skipper Alastair Cook lashed out at the Joe Root-led England team for their poor batting display on Day 3 of the ongoing second Test of Ashes 2021-22, saying that the visitors are not learning from their mistakes.
England yet again displayed poor batting performance to put themselves in all sorts of trouble. In response to Australia’s first innings total of 473 runs, the visitors had a horrendous start as they lost both the openers for just 12 runs.
Even though Joe Root and Dawid Malan stitched a 138-run partnership, it wasn’t enough as, after the wicket of the skipper, the visitors suffered a collapse and slipped from 150/3 to 236 all out, handing hosts a mammoth lead of 237 runs in the first innings.
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Speaking to BT Sport, Alastair Cook lashed out at England for losing wickets in clusters. He expressed his disappointment, saying how the players aren't learning the basic lessons taught to 13-year-olds.
“It is all too familiar and it is incredibly frustrating for the players, the coaches, you can’t afford to lose wickets in clusters. You have got batting coaches saying, ‘if you lose a wicket you have to rebuild’, all the stuff you tell 13-year-olds in team meetings, and unfortunately, they are not learning lessons,” Alastair Cook said.
Cool pointed out that England is not good enough when they are put under pressure. He compared them to Australia, who are brilliant under pressure and seizing opportunity after one wicket falls.
“They are not being good enough when they are put under pressure as a batting unit. When one wicket falls Australia is brilliant at seizing that opportunity for 20 minutes. Starting your innings on a flat wicket is so important, Australia go all in and England haven’t been good enough to withstand that," he said.
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Alastair Cook lauded Joe Root and Dawid Malan but pointed out that after their removal, England lost 4 wickets for just 19 runs. He added that visitors cannot afford batting collapse time and time again on flat wickets as in 45 minutes the game will almost be out of their reach.
“That was the big chance to get back into the series and bat big and Root and Malan were excellent. As soon as the talisman went second or third over after lunch, (England lost) four for 19, you just cannot afford to do this on flat wickets time and time again because in 45 minutes the game is almost out of reach already," he said.
(BT Sports inputs)
