While England slumped in shock after its defeat at Lord’s, coach Peter Moores cut through despair and told the squad: “Play it like it’s your first game.” The theory worked and the host found its mojo emphatically at Southampton’s Ageas Bowl and here at Old Trafford.
Moores, who prefers his backroom tactical moves, has forged a close bond with Alastair Cook. The coach-captain combine has finally lifted England from the cesspool of defeats and after winning against India in the fourth Test, Moores spoke about the team’s progress.
Discussing the team’s evolution over recent months, Moores said: “We played some good cricket at times (in the past) but didn’t put it together for any length of time. We have now played pretty consistently all the way through the last Test and pretty much all the way through this one (at Old Trafford). That has resulted in two wins and we have had two or three exceptional performances within that — (Stuart) Broady in this game, the way Moeen (Ali) bowled in the second innings and the partnership between (Jos) Buttler and (Joe) Root was significant as well.”
The coach conceded that the way the team shaped up in the last two Tests, wasn’t exactly a surprise. “All the way through, certain things have fallen in place. The fact Gary (Ballance) fitted in well at three was a good one, I think Joe (Root) has settled well. The fact that the senior players have really performed well over the last couple of games has really added something. We have won two Tests but we have also got to be pretty careful we don’t get carried away. We have got a huge game coming up at The Oval,” Moores said.
Backing CookBacking Cook to the hilt, Moores said: “The significant point was when he came out and said he was in it for the long haul, he wanted to do the job. The more criticism he gets, he is one of those characters that the more steely he gets. Leadership is about getting people to follow you and to create opportunities for people, to create something. Cookie is very much into that. He is, deep down, a real carer. He wants the team to grow.”
Moores lauded Ali’s growth as a spinner and said that his performance against India’s top players, would grant him extra confidence. Asked about Broad, who suffered a blow on the nose from a Varun Aaron bouncer, the coach said: “If he is fit and there is no risk to him, we will play him.”
