England captain Alastair Cook called on his batsmen to raise their game after a heavy defeat by India left them looking at another one-day series loss ahead of next year’s World Cup.
India beat England by six wickets at Trent Bridge on Saturday to go 2-0 up in a five-match series with two to play.
It was the reigning world champions’` second crushing win of the week after a 133-run success in Cardiff on Wednesday followed Monday’s washout in Bristol.
England yet again succumbed to spin after a promising opening stand between Cook (44) and Alex Hales (42), on his Nottinghamshire home ground, left them well-placed at 82 without loss.
But when Hales was caught behind sweeping at Suresh Raina, it was the first of three wickets England lost — all to spinners – for just 15 runs, with Cook and Joe Root (two) both stumped by India captain and wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
England never recovered and were all out for a meagre 227, with India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin winning the man-of-the-match award for a return of three for 39.
India then cruised to victory in making 228 for four with seven overs to spare as Ambati Rayudu — only playing because of Rohit Sharma`s tour-ending finger injury — top-scored with 64 not out.
“In one-day cricket, it is funny: you can turn it around very quickly, but it starts with individual responsiblity,” Cook said.
“I know that`s a bit of a cliche, but it will take someone to score that hundred and everyone will jump on the back of that, you get 330 and you win a game of cricket and it changes,” added Cook, who has now gone 37 innings since scoring the last of his five ODI centuries in June 2012.
