Page last updated at 10:06 GMT, Wednesday, 11 March 2009 |
England to tackle first-Test jinx: | |||||
England need to address their poor record in opening Tests, according to assistant coach Andy Flower. They have not won an opening Test since beating Bangladesh at Lord's in May 2005, losing seven of 14 since. "Losing the first Test can't go on - the facts and the stats don't lie," Flower told BBC Radio 5 Live. "We're not exactly sure of the reason. We'll dig around and do some talking to find out why. Maybe we'll look at playing more matches before a series." England capitulated in the first Test of the recent series against West Indies when they were bowled out for 51 in their second innings to lose by an innings and 23 runs.
Andrew Strauss' men subsequently lost the series 1-0 after the next four matches were drawn. The England captain believes that "freaky" demise affected his side for the rest of series. "That has ultimately cost us the series," said the 32-year-old Strauss, who is favourite to lead England in this summer's Ashes series. "That was a freaky situation where we played badly, we weren't switched on, we got put under pressure and didn't handle it properly.
"We have to understand it is in those small margins which Test matches are won and lost in, and series are won and lost. "We can't afford to be on the receiving end of those sessions." Meanwhile, Flower is waiting to see whether he will be handed the England coach's role on a full-time basis. The England and Wales Cricket Board is expected to name a successor to Peter Moores, who was sacked in January following a rift with former captain Kevin Pietersen. "I've got my application in," said 40-year-old Zimbabwean Flower. "I'd like to do it and I think I'd make a difference but that's not my decision to make. The ECB will make the decision in about a month's time." | |||||
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