9:18am Saturday 20th March 2010
ALASTAIR COOK may be preparing to lead England in another low-key clash with Test minnows Bangladesh today, but he believes the contest could play a crucial role in his team’s Ashes defence.
England have plenty of cricket to play before their winter trip Down Under, with the World Twenty20 at the end of April followed by a return visit from the Tigers, a home series against Pakistan and a limited-overs home series against Ricky Ponting’s side.
But the Ashes is never far from the mind of an English cricket fan and the captain suggested the same was true of the dressing room.
Cook is primarily looking to maintain his 100 per cent record as touring skipper by wrapping up a 2-0 win in Mirpur in the second Test but is also mindful that there are good habits to be learned ahead of the Ashes.
England had to settle for a drawn Test series against South Africa after a slack performance in the final match saw them surrender a hardfought lead.
Cook wants his players to gain experience of closing out victory at the business end of a tour.
‘‘This is our last away Test match before we go to Australia and that has been noted,’’ he said.
‘‘This match it hugely relevant (to the Ashes). We’ve talked about the South Africa trip, where we were 1-0 up going into the last game and didn’t finish the job.
‘‘Then, we didn’t perform to the standards we’d set ourselves on that trip. The next time we could be in this position we’ll be in Australia so this is a really good experience for us as a side.
‘‘We’ve talked about what it means to play for England and how big it is to win 2-0.
‘‘We know the next time we could face this situation it will be the Ashes.
‘‘It is a learning curve this week that we hope will help us come January next year.’’ England’s immediate prospects have been boosted by Stuart Broad’s swift recovery from illness.
Broad, the most experienced Test seamer in the ranks at 23, missed training on Wednesday but was back in the nets yesterday and is ready to lead the attack.
‘‘He had a little illness but we think he’ll be fine,’’ said Cook.
‘‘The medical team have seen him and he’s up and about now. Hopefully the bug is gone and he’ll be fine for the match.’’ Tim Bresnan and Graeme Swann are safely inked into the starting XI alongside Broad, but the decision on whether or not to include the uncapped James Tredwell as a second spinner may be a late one.
Steve Finn bowled well on his debut but would be the obvious candidate to step down if there is to be a change.
The hierarchy may decide that six specialist batsmen are a luxury, having found run-scoring so simple in the first innings of the series opener.
Cook himself seems naturally inclined towards three pacemen to share the workload in the stifling heat.
‘‘If we think that is the best way of going – two seamers, two spinners – then we will do that. It is very ‘un-English’, though,’’ he conceded.
‘‘We are used to playing in English conditions where seamers do the majority of the work and you’d be very unlikely ever to go out in England with less than three seamers.
‘‘These are the types of decisions the sub-continent throws up.’’
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