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England have been crushed 4-0 by Australia in the Ashes – beaten by an innings and 123 runs in the fifth Test in Sydney – but strike bowler James Anderson has warned against over-reaction.
"We've not been blown away in every game," Anderson said. "It doesn't feel like a completely disastrous series. It doesn't feel like a series where there should be a big upheaval like other series which have been absolutely disastrous. It doesn't feel like that.”
England’s team received a substantial overhaul in the aftermath of their 5-0 drubbing in 2013/14 but Anderson argues this defeat had been a closer-fought affair.
"I do think it's been closer than 4-0. We've been on top in some games, if not all the games at some stage.
"We are hurting and we know we've got to improve in a lot of areas. I'm sure everyone will be looking at themselves in the mirror over the next few weeks.”
Anderson, who was the best and most consistent of England’s bowlers – picking up 17 wickets at 27.82 across the five Tests – said the team had not seized enough of the “crucial moments”.
"We've not done ourselves justice throughout the series. We've played well in patches, but when you play quality opposition like Australia in the tough environment that Australia is, you can't perform in little bits and pieces. You have to be consistent. They have won those crucial moments that the match pivots upon.
"Getting 60 or 70 with the bat is not good enough. You've got to on and get big hundreds as they have. And with the ball, it's all very well bowling well individually for 15 overs or 20 overs. But the period between 25 and 30 overs can be the key overs for a bowler. You've got to try to stay at your best in those periods and I don't think we've done that.
"The pitches have not really suited our bowling. They've been slow and we've come up against a batting line-up that is patient and mentally tough. We don't have an X-factor bowler like Pat Cummins or Mitchell Starc. We don't have that sort of pace. We've not bowled well enough for long periods of time - and I include myself in that - to create pressure. We've bowled well at times, but we've not done it for five days and this is the price you pay.
"There were stages of each game that we were on top. But we've not managed to kick on and actually be really ruthless in those situations. And then they've managed to get back in the game and when the pressure has been put back on us we've not coped with it very well.
"Man-for-man, we've got the skill and the ability to beat Australia, but it's about trying to perform in those pressurised situations, which we've not done well."
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/589654
"We've not been blown away in every game," Anderson said. "It doesn't feel like a completely disastrous series. It doesn't feel like a series where there should be a big upheaval like other series which have been absolutely disastrous. It doesn't feel like that.”
England’s team received a substantial overhaul in the aftermath of their 5-0 drubbing in 2013/14 but Anderson argues this defeat had been a closer-fought affair.
"I do think it's been closer than 4-0. We've been on top in some games, if not all the games at some stage.
"We are hurting and we know we've got to improve in a lot of areas. I'm sure everyone will be looking at themselves in the mirror over the next few weeks.”
Anderson, who was the best and most consistent of England’s bowlers – picking up 17 wickets at 27.82 across the five Tests – said the team had not seized enough of the “crucial moments”.
"We've not done ourselves justice throughout the series. We've played well in patches, but when you play quality opposition like Australia in the tough environment that Australia is, you can't perform in little bits and pieces. You have to be consistent. They have won those crucial moments that the match pivots upon.
"Getting 60 or 70 with the bat is not good enough. You've got to on and get big hundreds as they have. And with the ball, it's all very well bowling well individually for 15 overs or 20 overs. But the period between 25 and 30 overs can be the key overs for a bowler. You've got to try to stay at your best in those periods and I don't think we've done that.
"The pitches have not really suited our bowling. They've been slow and we've come up against a batting line-up that is patient and mentally tough. We don't have an X-factor bowler like Pat Cummins or Mitchell Starc. We don't have that sort of pace. We've not bowled well enough for long periods of time - and I include myself in that - to create pressure. We've bowled well at times, but we've not done it for five days and this is the price you pay.
"There were stages of each game that we were on top. But we've not managed to kick on and actually be really ruthless in those situations. And then they've managed to get back in the game and when the pressure has been put back on us we've not coped with it very well.
"Man-for-man, we've got the skill and the ability to beat Australia, but it's about trying to perform in those pressurised situations, which we've not done well."
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/589654
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