Flower likens India rout to Ashes triumph
LONDON: England coach Andy Flower compared England’s whitewash of India to their home Ashes triumph of two years ago as The Oval again provided the setting for the team’s joyful celebrations.
Flower’s men completed a 4-0 series rout of the team they replaced as the world’s best Test side with an innings and eight-run victory wrapped up before tea on the fifth day here on Monday. It was England’s latest crushing win in a series where their previous margins of victory were 196 runs, 319 runs and an innings and 242 runs.
“It reminds me of the Ashes in 2009, there’s a similar atmosphere. It was maybe a bit of an anti-climax because we were 3-0 up but it’s a great moment for them (the players),” Flower told Sky Sports.
“The Ashes are special for their own reasons, and for the importance the English public and the Australian public give to it, but it’s also something special to be playing India,” the former Zimbabwe batsman explained.
Meanwhile, England captain Andrew Strauss was delighted by the way his bowlers took 20 wickets after he enforced the follow-on, with off-spinner Graeme Swann leading the way on Monday courtesy of a haul of six for 106. “It was an outstanding effort again, enforcing the follow-on asked a lot of the bowlers and they responded superbly,” Strauss said. “It was Swann’s turn to take wickets today but he was well supported by the seamers.”
Fast-medium bowler Stuart Broad was chosen by India as England’s man-of-the-series for an all-round contribution of 25 wickets and 182 highly valuable runs down the order.
But he didn’t have to bat at The Oval, with England’s 591 for six declared featuring man-of-the-match Ian Bell’s Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen’s 175 giving their attack enough runs to play by India.
Flower’s men completed a 4-0 series rout of the team they replaced as the world’s best Test side with an innings and eight-run victory wrapped up before tea on the fifth day here on Monday. It was England’s latest crushing win in a series where their previous margins of victory were 196 runs, 319 runs and an innings and 242 runs.
“It reminds me of the Ashes in 2009, there’s a similar atmosphere. It was maybe a bit of an anti-climax because we were 3-0 up but it’s a great moment for them (the players),” Flower told Sky Sports.
“The Ashes are special for their own reasons, and for the importance the English public and the Australian public give to it, but it’s also something special to be playing India,” the former Zimbabwe batsman explained.
Meanwhile, England captain Andrew Strauss was delighted by the way his bowlers took 20 wickets after he enforced the follow-on, with off-spinner Graeme Swann leading the way on Monday courtesy of a haul of six for 106. “It was an outstanding effort again, enforcing the follow-on asked a lot of the bowlers and they responded superbly,” Strauss said. “It was Swann’s turn to take wickets today but he was well supported by the seamers.”
Fast-medium bowler Stuart Broad was chosen by India as England’s man-of-the-series for an all-round contribution of 25 wickets and 182 highly valuable runs down the order.
But he didn’t have to bat at The Oval, with England’s 591 for six declared featuring man-of-the-match Ian Bell’s Test-best 235 and Kevin Pietersen’s 175 giving their attack enough runs to play by India.
Published by Unknown
on 07:22.
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