Strauss hurting after series loss
January 29, 2012 08:30:33 UK
England captain Andrew Strauss admitted that defeat to Pakistan in the second Test hurt more than most, with only pride left to play for in the series in the UAE.
Strauss' side crumbled to 72 all out in their second innings to lose the game by 72 runs, having been swept aside by ten wickets in the opening Test match in Dubai.
I'd struggle to think of a loss that's hurt more than this.
Andrew Strauss
That leaves England looking to salvage something from a lost series in the third and final Test, which starts in Dubai on Friday 3rd February, with the tourists 2.87 to win the game, while the draw is 3.25. Pakistan are 2.50 to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.
"It's bitterly disappointing to lose a game you should have won," a downcast Strauss said. "I'd struggle to think of a loss that's hurt more than this.
"We've got to find ways of fighting back, and making sure we can reconnect with all the good things we've done over the last couple of years.
"As a batting unit we have to hold our hands up and say we haven't done well enough. There are no excuses - we need to be better than that. "
Strauss and his fellow batsmen have struggled to cope with the spin of Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman in the first two Tests, with Ian Bell averaging a mere nine, while Kevin Pietersen has managed just 17 runs in four innings for an average of 4.25.
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