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| April 2, 2006 | Sunday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 3, 1427 |
England can bounce back, says Blackwell
GOA (India), April 1: All-rounder Ian Blackwell is confident England can win the one-day series against India despite trailing 2-0. “On reflection, we thought we should have won both the games,” the left-arm spinner told a news conference on Saturday.
“Perhaps if we performed a little better, and were a little more ruthless, then we could have probably been in a different position going into the third game.”
The third of the seven matches will be played on Monday.
England have lost seven of their last 10 one-dayers.
“We have assessed the last couple of games and how people gave their wickets away and how we bowled at certain people.
“There are some things that we will have to rectify. You know, the small tweaks, and we are more than capable of turning things around.”
The tourists slumped to a 39-run defeat in the first match in Delhi after dominating the game. In the second match in Faridabad, they allowed the hosts to recover from 92-5 to win.
Blackwell, who displayed fine control in both matches, does not think the tourists were a spinner short on a slow and low pitch in Faridabad where the hosts chased 227 for victory.
“I think it was more of a case of one of your guys playing out of the skin and producing a match-winning partnership with (Mahendra) Dhoni to clinch the game rather than us missing a second spinner,” he said.
He was referring to Suresh Raina’s innings of 81 not out and the left-hander’s sixth-wicket stand of 118 with Dhoni.
“You look at the bowling figures — the seamers who were picked did a very good job. There were definite times in the first two one-dayers when we could have won them.”
England were robbed of captain Michael Vaughan and vice-captain Marcus Trescothick for the test series which they drew 1-1, and have also suffered injuries to key bowlers including Steve Harmison.
“I think the fact is that they (England) haven’t really had a stable one-day team,” Blackwell said in explaining England’s recent lack of one-day success.
“There has been quite a few ins and outs, whether it be injuries or England themselves not knowing what their best one-day team is.
“That can have an effect on how a team gels and plays over a long period of time.”
Meanwhile, England coach Duncan Fletcher left for a brief trip to South Africa on Saturday and is expected to rejoin the team before the third One-day International, an England spokesman said.
“Fletcher is accompanying his wife, who is currently unwell, on a flight to South Africa,” England’s media manager James Avery told reporters.
“He will immediately return and aims to join the team in Goa on Monday.”—Reuters
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