Leeds: England captain Alastair Cook insisted his side could yet regain the Ashes despite being held to a 1-1 Test series draw by New Zealand. Australia thrashed England 5-0 on home soil during the last Ashes clash in 2013/14. However, Australia will arrive for a Test series against England starting in Cardiff on July 8 having not won an away Ashes campaign since 2001. England, though, went down to a crushing 199-run defeat by New Zealand in the second Test at Headingley on Tuesday.
But for Cook’s superb 162 and a dashing century by all-rounder Ben Stokes, England might well have also lost the first Test at Lord’s a match they won by 124 runs. Asked if he thought England could regain the Ashes, Cook told reporters at Headingley: “Yes I do. “In our conditions as well, we’re comfortable in them but we have to make that step forward as a side and we have to do it quickly.”
The second Test saw Cook become England’s all-time leading Test run-scorer and James Anderson the first England bowler to take 400 Test wickets. “To win a Test series or a Test match, you need to win those crucial moments,” said Cook. “We’re just probably lacking a little bit of that,” added Cook.
