'I've learned from this series'
It's tough to have to talk about a series lost after such high hopes but full credit to India, they played some very good cricket at the Oval.
Vaughney said after the game that India were the better side over the course of the series and deserved it but looking back, Lord's was an opportunity lost and we didn't get a crucial decision or the win. Possibly luck didn't go with us during that game but it's been a really hard-fought series. Unfortunately for us, we were at the wrong end of the result.
Kumble's runs proved crucial
It was clearly a great batting wicket and not a great toss to lose, as was the case in Trent Bridge. We would have liked more pace and bounce to the wicket but due to the amount of rain over the last couple of months it would have been impossible to get that.
If we'd have won the toss and posted 500 on that wicket, which we would have backed ourselves to do, we'd have put the Indians under a lot of pressure. As it was, they batted very well and to get 650 meant that it was a long way back for us. I can imagine the odds on an Anil Kumble century would have been huge before the series but a Test match hundred is a Test match hundred and full credit to him. He's a good man and a very highly respected player in world cricket and it's just a shame he decided to do it against us! His runs proved crucial, because if we could have bowled them out for 450 or 500 and seized the initiative when he first came in, you never know.
As it was, the target was never really a realistic enough one for us to chase down although KP gave it a good shot for a while. It was another great innings and he's one of the best. We have to hope he keeps playing like that because he's so important for England.
I've learned from this series
As for myself, I got set in both innings and to get a 60 and a 40 and not go on is disappointing. It's been a tough series for me in one way with the rub of the green on some decisions but that happens and I really had to fight for my runs. It was disappointing not to score a hundred in the series but, as Vaughney said, you do learn. You're never going to become a complete player at 22 or 32 but the experience I've learned from this series will hopefully mean that I can come out a better player at the end, as I did against Australia.
There are a lot of other positives to take from the series. All our bowlers have performed well and Jimmy Anderson's man of the series was well deserved. We played some really good cricket and the way our relatively inexperienced bowlers came in and performed was exceptional. Chris Tremlett was awesome as was Jimmy Anderson and it was unbelievable how often Ryan Sidebottom beat Sachin's outside edge but didn't get his wicket! So with Freddy, Harmy and Hoggy coming back, we've got strength in depth in the bowling department. In one way, the bowlers have outperformed the batters in this series for England.
Matt Prior's a fighter
I'd also like to single out Matt Prior. He's had a tough match at the Oval but he's had a very good Test summer if you look at the whole picture and he's impressed me immensely. Hopefully we can keep supporting Matty and he'll continue to do well. He's the type of character who loves a challenge and loves to fight back.
Next up it's the ODI series and it's also going to be fiercely contested. We're going to have to come out fighting again. We've got another fairly inexperienced side but it's going to be good fun playing with Ravi Bopara as he's a good mate form home and it's the right time for a few of us to step up and stamp our authority on that ODI team, score some runs and not leave it up to KP!
After that, it's the winter tour to Sri Lanka. I've been on an A Tour there before in the middle of a heat wave and it doesn't get much tougher than that! It's one of the toughest places to go but that's what challenges are for and we're going to give it one hell of a crack to come home triumphant and bounce back from this home defeat.
Alastair Cook.
14th August 2007
