http://www.senore.com/Cricket/IR-Bell-c1597 reaffirms his faith in the English team - Cricket News Update
Middle-order batsman, Ian Bell, believes that despite the Oval loss, the English contingent is keen to make a comeback in the second Test, and has the talent and ability to beat the Proteas and level the ongoing Investec series.
In his column for The Independent, Bell wrote that the team meeting after the Oval defeat helped the players to perform an honest analysis of what went wrong, and how can they overcome their shortcomings in time to make a comeback at Headingley.
“An outstanding feature of this http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 team and why we have managed to be successful for two years or so is our honesty, both in victory and defeat. So in that team talk we were honest with each other,” the 30-year-old batsman said.
England maintained a phenomenal record in the last couple of years, which saw them retain the Ashes against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746. After a successful season, the Poms earned their biggest achievement when they inflicted a 4-0 whitewash on the then world’s top Test side,
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750, to reach the coveted spot.
However, the winning spree didn’t last long as the Poms suffered an embarrassing 0-3 whitewash at the hands of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, and later barely drew a two-Test match series against the Lankans.
While the home side managed to secure a series win against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760, it was the Proteas who posed the greatest challenge on their home soil.
With the defeat at the Oval, the hosts suffered their first loss at home since they were defeated at the same venue by Pakistan two years ago; another defeat in the ongoing series would not only mean their first series loss since 2008 but will push them
down from the top spot on the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 Test ranking.
However, Bell feels that the English camp has the privilege of having the services of an outstanding coach in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Andrew-Flower-c44362. “It is what makes Andy Flower such an exceptional coach – he wants players to look at themselves, to take responsibility, always to
look how they can improve,” wrote Bell.
Headingley pitch has recently become batting friendly but http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Warwickshire-c862 batsman expects the wicket to offer something for the bowlers.
“There was a tinge of grass on the pitch yesterday so, as in the rest of this season, batsmen can expect to find it hard work. But we don't mind that, it's what we do,” the right-handed batsman concluded.
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