3-0 down, not much for Cook to celebrate while Clarke looks to maximise English misery as Melbourne Test starts today
England captain Alastair Cook marked his 29th birthday — and Christmas Day — on Wednesday yet found little cause for celebration on the eve of the fourth Test against Australia.
Trailing 3-0 in the series and with the Ashes already gone, Cook has lost veteran spinner Graeme Swann to a surprise early retirement since the previous test in Perth.
Pace bowler Jimmy Anderson appears out of form, fellow quick Stuart Broad has a right foot injury and wicketkeeper/batsman Matt Prior’s place in the team is in doubt. Spinner Monty Panesar is expected to return to the side for Swann.
“losing the Ashes and with Swannie going as well, it has been a different week,” Cook said.
“When you lose games of cricket, naturally your confidence does slip. We’re desperate to turn it around and you don’t often get the chance to play a Boxing Day test match at the MCG.”
About 90,000 are expected at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Thursday for the first day of the test.
While few foresaw Swann’s sudden retirement, Cook was not surprised as he felt the spinner had nothing left to give.
“It’s a brave decision. It was quite an emotional chat,” said Cook.
Cook said he was encouraged by Broad’s bowling in the nets. Broad was hit in the right foot by a Mitchell Johnson yorker in the third test but scans showed no fracture.
“The signs are good,” Cook said Wednesday.
Australia captain Michael Clarke said his team was “extremely shocked” by Swann’s decision to end his international and first-class career.
“He’s been a wonderful cricketer for a long time for England and deserves a lot of credit for what he’s achieved,” Clarke said after Wednesday’s training session. “He’s the type of character you enjoy having around your group, especially when you’re away from home and family and friends.”
Clarke said Australia won’t let up in the remaining two tests, using the matches as a build-up to its tour of South Africa in February. He also said he wouldn’t be caught up in the euphoria of the Ashes victory because the side has won just four of 13 tests in 2013, including four losses in India.
“I’ve seen both sides of this game,” Clarke said. “I know how quickly you can be praised by the media and I also know how quickly you can be criticized.
“I’m not silly enough at 32 years of age to look past tomorrow, because I know a couple of ducks and my job’s on the line or a couple of losses and I’m under the same pressure.”
Clarke is aiming to join Warwick Armstrong (1920-21) and Ricky Ponting (2006-07) as captains who have led Australia to a 5-0 series sweep over England.
Clarke said Australia would take in the same 12 as Perth, meaning all-rounder James Faulkner, who has a broken hand, will likely be 12th man.
“At this stage everyone seems fully fit. I haven’t looked at the wicket yet,” Clarke said. “It’s more about assessing the conditions tomorrow morning before we announce our 11.”
England will also wait until just before the toss on Thursday to name its team, with one change expected to be Jonny Bairstow in for Prior as wicketkeeper.
local media reported that Bairstow took all the slips fielding drills and that Prior worked with Bairstow after the regular training session ended Wednesday.
And, Clarke also feels that the Boxing Day Test is as important as the first in Brisbane.
“This Test is as important as Brisbane was,” bristled Clarke when asked if his players’ intent had waned with the urn back in their keeping.
“We’re ranked fifth in the world and have won three Test matches in the past 12 months, so there’s no complacency at all.”
And having suffered through a 3-0 loss in England less than six months ago, Clarke offered a blunt “keep the faith” to battling counterpart Alastair Cook.
“It’s just about them continuing to do what they’ve done for long periods of time that’s got them to be the No.1 team in the world,” Clarke said.
“But to be honest, my job is to beat England. That’s my focus and mak ing sure that I’m concentrating on our team and helping the Australian team continue their success.
“We’ve experienced a lot of tough times over the past couple of years, especially the last 12 months we haven’t had much success at all.
“So I don’t think it would be fair for me to sit here and give advice to Alastair or the England team because we’ve only won three Test matches out of a dozen now.
“That certainly doesn’t sound like a successful Test cricketing year for an Australian cricket team, so we need to stay focused on us and make sure we work extremely hard to have success in this Test match first and foremost.”
Clarke insisted the team’s unity and resolve was as strong now as it had been when it was unable to win in nine Tests earlier this year.
“You would love to write this team is different or things have changed, or my captaincy has changed, or my style of bloke has changed, but unfortunately I can’t give you that feedback,” he said.
“The team was just as strong (as a unit) and worked just as hard in the UK and lost 3-0. It is not ideal front-page news but not much has changed.”
Clarke, who said he hadn’t thought or spoken of the innings mauling England gave Australia in the most recent Boxing Day Test in 2010, said neither he nor his team was focused on anything but beating England this week. “I aim to win this Test match, probably because I’ve seen both sides of this game. I know how quickly you can be praised by the media and I also know how quickly you can be criticised. I’m not silly enough, at 32 years of age, to look past tomorrow because I know a couple of ducks and my job’s on the line or a couple of losses and I’m under the same pressure.