Cook promises to learn lessons ahead of trip to New Zealand
ENGLAND captain Alastair Cook says his one-day side will learn important lessons from their 3-2 defeat in India, as the batsman prepares to lead his team on their next tour to New Zealand.
A superb knock of 113 not out from Ian Bell gave England a seven-wicket win in Dharamsala yesterday, but the match was a dead rubber, with the tourists already 3-1 down in the ODI series.
“I thought the way we learnt throughout this tour showed quite nicely in that game,” Cook said.
“We bowled better. Conditions were more in our favour, but we used that and put the ball in challenging areas, and when you get the opposition 50-4 you put yourselves in a very strong place.
“In a couple of those games we didn’t play as well as we could have done but we’ve learned a lot about certain players.”
Tim Bresnan took four wickets as India were bowled out for 226 runs in the Himalaya-side ground. Cook was then dismissed in the 12th over when Ishant Sharma sent through a cutting ball that split his stumps, yet fellow opener Bell went on to score the first century of the series.
Kevin Pietersen was out for just six runs, yet youngster Joe Root and Eoin Morgan chipped in with 71 runs, to help England reach 227 with nearly three overs, and seven wickets, to spare.
The performance would have held some cheer for incoming batting coach Graham Thorpe. The former Surrey star will replace Graham Gooch in coaching the ODI and Twenty20 sides for the tour of New Zealand, starting 4 February.
Gooch will continue to coach batting for England’s Test side.