We are trying for perfection, declares Wood

HISTORICALLY, Australia Day in Adelaide tends to end in ritual humiliation for England. Take 2007, for example, when Andrew Flintoff’s decision to bat first was greeted by a cacophony of jeers from the stands. England were skittled for 110 and, having lost before the floodlights had taken effect, declined a request to play a Twenty20 beer match to placate the public. Or two episodes of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. The failure to knock off 240 despite cruising at 162 for two in 1999 or 2014, losing when 64 were required from 87 balls with seven wickets intact. There will be no mocking this year, however. Right now, Australia would take e any kind of win to break the shackles Eoin Morgan’s team have imposed in creating an unassailable 3-0 lead. Never before has an England team m won a bilateral one-day series on Australian soil. Yet this one exudes the confidence to discuss the goal of inflicting a 5-0 whitewash publicly. ‘We solely focus on ourselves to get better. Every game that we’ve played, we’ve not been happy with the overall performance, although we’ve been happy with the win,’ said fast bowler Mark Wood. ‘We’re always looking to try and strive for that perfect game. That’s what we talk about. We want to be winning that World Cup, we want to be world champions. How are we going to go about it? How are we going to get better? By doing little things that sound soun like nothing.’ This week, those little li things have involved i turning the water sprinklers on during d fielding drills d to perfect sliding. sl Players have also been practising catching catch on the boundary rope and relaying the ball via backhand throws to team-mates. Morgan described last Sunday’s win in Sydney as the best of his tenure, as England were a bowler light due to Liam Plunkett’s hamstring tear. Wood credits Morgan for this, saying: ‘His body language in the field, even if you get hit for four, is always excellent. He’s always clear. He backs you 100 per cent. If I say, “I fancy doing this” he says “Fine — that’s what we’re doing”.’ Left-armer David Willey replaces Plunkett tomorrow.