SECOND TEST, LORD’S, 11am ’EM OFF
Cook tells England to show no mercy
ALASTAIR COOK has told England to go for the throat at Lord’s today.
The England skipper wants his side to repeat their Cardiff heroics in the second Investec Test and kill off Australia’s chances of retaining the Ashes.
The tourists are in chaos following a series of injuries and withdrawals.
They lost bowler Ryan Harris before the first Test, Shane Watson has been dropped for today’s game – with Mitch Marsh replacing him – while Brad Haddin is out for family reasons, meaning keeper Peter Nevill comes in for his debut.
Cook said: “I have told the lads that it is all about looking forward.
“We can’t sit back and protect. We have to get on the front foot like we did in that first Test match.”
The England skipper gave his squad a pep-talk at the end of practice yesterday and asked them to reproduce their stunning opening performance in London.
He added: “We took our catches and played good cricket there and while one from one is pretty good, the challenge now is, ‘can we do it again here?’.
“The last two Test series we haven’t done that.” That was a reference to England failing to back up wins against West Indies and New Zealand but they have been boosted by the news that Moeen Ali is set be fit after suffering a slight side strain.
Cook added: “Moeen is pretty good but we will make the final call in the morning. He felt his side a little bit in the last game and, with his previous history, our medical team are wrapping people in cotton wool.
“You have to be a bit careful with back-to-back Tests but unless we get a reaction overnight we expect him to be in our team.”
Haddin will not feature but skipper Michael Clarke said the keeper will stay in London and will be involved in the rest of
the series. Clarke would not comment on the reasons for Haddin’s withdrawal but said: “He is doing as well as he can do.
“It’s pretty important we respect the privacy of the Haddin family.
“I am confident we will see more of Brad throughout this series and that he will play a big part in the rest of it but right now he needs his time with his family.”
Clarke insisted his side were not on the back foot, and claimed they can turn the five-match series around.
He added: “I get a sense
Cook (capt), Lyth, Ballance,
Bell, Root, Stokes, Buttler, Moeen, Broad, Wood, Anderson.
Rogers, Warner, Smith, Clarke
(capt), Voges, M Marsh, Nevill, Johnson, Hazlewood, Starc, Lyon.
Marais Erasmus (South Africa) and Kumar Dharmasena (Sri
Lanka). that we need to turn things around right now in this Test match. That comes with attitude.
“Whether it be your own personal form, holding on to that tough catch, getting that momentum, playing and missing, the opposition dropping a catch...
“If you keep that confidence and belief individually and as a team you will find a way to turn it around.
“That’s what good teams do. Things didn’t go our way in the first Test and it is up to us to turn it round.
“In sport you have to be able to cop a few smacks in the mouth, get up and go again.
“Cardiff, round one, we got beaten. I look forward to round two.”