Adelaide, Australia: After suffering yet another humiliating defeat here in the second test England captain Alastair Cook, who himself failed to lead from the front, has admitted speaking to Kevin Pietersen about the motivation levels of England's star batsman who threw away his wickets when England needed him the most.
After the match chastened Cook said that his team-mates need to look deep into their hearts and souls as they try to get their heads round the task of becoming the first England team to win the Ashes after going 2-0 down.
When asked whether he felt all of his team-mates were still up for the fight, Cook said: ‘It's a good question. Sometimes, when you haven't been playing well, that's one thing you start looking at – whether we do have that.
‘I can only say, from speaking to the guys, and watching them – how much this is hurting – that we do. Only the guys will know that inside themselves. But I honestly believe we've got that.
‘We've been outplayed. You can't get away from that. But the only way we can drag it round is by getting that hunger, that desperation back into our game.'
Asked specifically whether Pietersen, who had fallen to the leg-side trap three times in this series before he knuckled down for 53 on Sunday, was still up for the fight, Cook replied: ‘Yes, I think he is. In fact, I know he is, after speaking to him. I thought he played very responsibly in that second innings.
‘Again, he's a senior player and he will be first to hold his hands up and say some of his shots – execution and selection – haven't been good enough. That's pretty much the same for the whole of our batting line-up, and that's the kind of honesty we need to go forward.'
The third Test at Perth starts on Friday and England have just three days to prepare themselves physically and more importantly mentally. Australia have lost only once in 12 attempts to England here..that too way back in 1978-79 when an Australian side was weakened by defections to Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket.
The only other time the Ashes have been won by the team trailing 2-0 was in 1936-37, when Australia had the benefit of Don Bradman. England appear to have only a fractured sense of self-belief, but Cook was not about to throw in towel.
‘It's certainly not impossible,' he said. ‘A lot of people will probably give us no chance. But if we don't believe that in our dressing-room, if we believe the urn has gone, then it might as well have gone.
‘Obviously 2-0 is not a great situation to be in. But if you look at a football game, the next goal can change it very quickly. It's going to take a monumental effort from us to do it.'
