Wanted to finish on a high: Cook
First Published : 27 Jan 2013, 20:29
Last Modified : 27 Jan 2013, 20:29
Although they lost the five-match ODI series 2-3, the visiting team will leave the Indian shores on a winning note having beaten India in the last game at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium.
The Alastair Cook-led side dealt early blows to claim the Indian top order and rocked the hosts on the back foot. And Ian Bell then anchored the England innings to take the team to victory.
While speaking to bcci.tv after the game, Cook looked back at the match and the series.
Excerpts from his interview:
On the victory
It was obviously important to try and win this game. We played well as a team. The bowlers set up the match well. And any time when you are chasing 227, if you have one of the top-order batsmen scoring a hundred, you can win the game. Ian Bell played beautifully. Us winning and him getting the Man of the Match was a just reward for getting a hundred in this game, and it shows how well he has batted.
It was very important to end the series on a high. There's always disappointment when you come to try and win a series, then lose 2-3. I thought the way the lads performed today was really good.
On whether it was as easy to bat out there
It wasn’t. The wicket was still doing a little bit. It was good toss to win. [...] Though it was hard to bat, we had to hold our nerve; and Bell did that. [...] It is hard to stop good players from scoring and he certainly is one of those. We held our nerve and chased the target comfortably.
On Ishant Sharma’s impressive bowling in the match
He has bowled well throughout the series actually, and in the Test series as well. He is a fine bowler and I am sure we will have few more battles along the way.
On the positives from the series for England
We have won some games of cricket here and when we play well, we are match-winners in any condition.
