Moores eager to put pressure on spinners

Coach Peter Moores has insisted England must improve against spin bowlers, if the remainder of the ongoing five-ODI series against India isn't going to end in defeat.

Coach Peter Moores has insisted England must improve against spin bowlers, if the remainder of the ongoing five-ODI series against India isn't going to end in defeat.

England were outdone by all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in the second fixture and fellow slow bowler Ravichandran Ashwin in the the third, ensuring a two-nil deficit ahead of the fourth fixture at Edgbatson in Birmingham on Tuesday.

"Playing spin is an area where we want to improve. We've got some good players of spin – like Ian Bell, Alastair Cook and Eoin Morgan. But we have to deliver in an ODI game," said Moores.

"I think we have a chance now to really work at how we're going to put pressure on spinners. The role of that player is to be able to normally score about five-an-over in the middle overs and not get out.

"You need to do to be a successful side. England have got players who have done that in the past, and we've got to start doing it again. In the last two games we haven't."

The limited-overs form of captain Alastair Cook, meanwhile, has been the subject of plenty of criticism. Cook has not scored an ODI century since June 2012 against the West Indies at The Oval in London. Cook, too, has not struck a Test ton since March 2013 versus New Zealand in Dunedin.

"His record matches a lot of other people's. There are top 10s in the world, who are outstanding players in that form of the game, and Alastair will be working to keep moving his game forward," added Moores.

"But to his credit, his conversion – five centuries, 19 50s in 80-odd games – is pretty high. He's certainly got more tons than anybody else in this team – and that's part of what we're looking to do.

"His strike rate, just under 80 – yes, you might want to grow it a little bit. When he's in form, he's got his way of playing that can be effective in limited-overs cricket."

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