Former England skipper captain Alastair Cook has urged the Joe Root led England side to push hard and somehow survive the Gabba in Brisbane during the forthcoming Ashes. Root and company, he said, need to lay a foundation in Brisbane for their quest to regain the coveted urn.
Cook has seen from close quarters the downslide of England losing heavily at the Gabba on his last two trips to Australia. The Three Lions faced humiliating losses at the venue back in 2013-14 and 2017-18 summers. The last time England managed a result anything other than a defeat at the intimidating ground, they went on to clinch the Ashes 3-1 on the 2010-11 trip.
Citing his own experience of playing in Australia, Cook emphasized the need to make a good start at the Gabba if England are to make the Ashes a contest this time.
“Don’t lose’ is therefore my best advice to England before the first Test in Brisbane. If England can get through The Gabba unscathed, we could have a fantastic series ahead of us,”
“We have been beaten comfortably in every Ashes series in Australia this century bar one, and that was in 2010-11 when we drew the opener at The Gabba, despite a first-innings deficit of 221 runs. From then on the pressure was on the hosts,”
he wrote in his column for The Times.
England lost by 381 runs in 2013 and by 10 wickets in 2017 in Brisbane. They’ve won only four of their 21 Tests at the Gabba, and none of those wins have come post-1990.
Root and his team will have to reverse England’s poor fortunes at the venue if they are to take some confidence into the next four Tests of the Ashes, starting December 8.
Before departing Down Under, Root talked about the need for England to take inspiration from India’s memorable win at the ground earlier this year. The Indian team won a series-deciding Test to keep the Border-Gavaskar Trophy despite missing multiple first-choice players. It was the first win for a visiting side in Brisbane after 32 years.
