Batting legend Alastair Cook has criticised England for not learning from their mistakes and not adhering to advice 13-year-olds are told by their coaches. Cook pointed out the fact that England batters aren’t able to rebuild after losing a wicket which eventually is resulting in repeated collapses.
One of those collapses England witnessed on Saturday on Day 3 of the ongoing 2nd Test of the Ashes 2021-22 in Australia. The tourists failed to build on a strong 138-run partnership between Dawid Malan and captain Joe Root for the third wicket as the slipped from 150/2 to 236-all out in reply to Australia’s 473-all out in the day-night contest in Adelaide.
“It is all too familiar and it is incredibly frustrating for the players, the coaches, you can’t afford to lose wickets in clusters," Cook said on BT Sport.
“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.
“They are not being good enough when they are put under pressure as a batting unit. When one wicket falls Australia are 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 added.
By the end of the day’s play, Australia were 45/1 as they stretched their first-innings lead to 282 runs with two days still remaining in the contest. Cook reckons that partnership between Malan and Root had given England a good chance to come back in the series which they currently trail 0-1.
“That was the big chance to get back into the series and bat big and Root and Malan were excellent," Cook said.
“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 added.
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