Agence France Presse
London, August 19: England may have already regained the Ashes but captain Alastair Cook is determined not to let-up when they face Australia in the fifth and final Test at Oval Thursday – a match that marks rival skipper Michael Clarke’s farewell to international cricket.
No England side has ever won four Tests in a home Ashes series. But they are now within sight of their biggest margin of victory since Mike Brearley led England to a 5-1 success ‘Down Under’ against an Australia side weakened by defections to the ‘rebel’ World Series Cricket in 1978-79.
Taking this series 4-1 would certainly go some way to avenging the memory of the 5-0 whitewash inflicted upon England in Australia some 18 months ago.
“Cooky called us all Tuesday, to say: ‘Let’s make sure we turn up knowing that we’re in a battle and that we want to start again, because I’ve got a burning desire for this to be 4-1’,” Broad said.
“Certainly those of us involved in that 5-0 loss (in
2013-14) feel that determination to make this a good week,” he
added.
There has been talk of how England could promote off-spinning all-rounder Moeen Ali to open in place of the struggling Adam Lyth to make space to play Rashid as well.
Australia’s top-order had another miserable week as their side were nearly made to follow-on by an under-strength Northamptonshire, one of England’s weaker counties, last weekend.
Clarke, one of Australia’s greatest batsmen will be desperate to finish with a flourish as indeed will opener Chris Rogers, who is also retiring from international cricket after the fifth Test.
“I’d be lying if I said there wasn’t a lot of disappointment amongst the group,” said Rogers, with Australia now having lost four successive Ashes series in England.
“We came here to win and we’ve been outplayed. It’s been a difficult week. A lot of guys have felt a bit flat, I imagine,” he added.