Test Match Special - CWC Day 28: Pakistan win heaps pressure on England

Episode Date: June 26, 2019

Jeremy Coney and Aatif Nawaz join Charles Dagnall to reflect on Pakistan keeping their hopes of a World Cup semi-final place alive as they moved to within a point of England with a six-wicket victory over New Zealand.Also hear from Graeme Swann on England's troubles and Joe Root looks ahead to his side's vital match against India on Sunday.

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. To embrace the impossible requires a vehicle that pushes what's possible. Defender 110 boasts a towing capacity of 3,500 kilograms, a weighting depth of 900 millimeters, and a roof load up to 300 kilograms. Learn more at landrover.ca. BBC Sounds, music, radio, podcasts. Available every day during the cross. Cricket World Cup.

This is the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. Corsetra Bowls, he smashed it. Smash it high down the ground for six. Into the seething crowd it goes. You've never seen anything like this all around the ground. Bonfires are going in the sand at the far end. Australia have won the 1987 World Cup. And straight towards Stokes, it takes an incredible, one-handed catch.

Unbelievable. Hello, I'm Charles Dagnall, and welcome to Edgebaston, where Pakistan have put themselves right back in contention for a semi-final place after beating New Zealand by six wickets. This piles even more pressure on England to get a result against India on Sunday. Well, let's get straight into our reaction with Atif Noaz and Jeremy Coney. From BBC Radio 5 Live, this is the TMS podcast at the Cricket World Cup. What a day, Atif, I mean, right from the off,

We knew it would be a festival type of atmosphere here at Edgebaston, but goodness me. The crowd piled in, predominantly Pakistan, I would say, a sort of ratio of about 25,000 to 100, and between Pakistan and New Zealand, but they made the noise, their team performed for them today. They absolutely did. This was the performance that Pakistani fans were waiting for. It was exactly this, that they wanted to see, a convincing chase that showed, a spine that showed fight, that showed intent and skill, and they did all of those things today. They demonstrated the skill up top with the ball.

You know, okay, they didn't let the game get away from them ever so slightly when New Zealand put on the excellent partnership towards the end to raise themselves to a respectable total. But the way Pakistan came out and approached that chase was very unlike Pakistan. You don't associate Pakistan with great chases. The last one that comes to mind, ironically enough, was against New Zealand in 1999 in the semi-final of that World Cup.

and that was the last time they chased down a big total and made it look like they were in control of it, all of it, even in the face of the challenges they're faced, like from the spinners of New Zealand, you know, Mitchell Santner bowled a stunning spell. His first six overs in particular, they decided that we're just going to take a back foot. We're going to try and see him off.

When Haris Sohill came into bat, the ball was turning sideways and he was having to deal with that appreciable movement, and he did so in a way that showed a lot of fight, a lot of now, a lot of intelligence and just awareness to the situation. They didn't try and get carried away. They decided we've got plenty of time to play this out. Just a very competent chase. And I can't stress that enough.

You don't see Pakistan chase in a competent way as often as Pakistan fan would like. That part of it was more remarkable than anything else. I realize, Jeremy, you're here for a New Zealand perspective. But just on the chase, you've talked many a time about not necessarily this game, but other games in this World Cup about the situation and the way of playing the situation,

the conditions, the variables, the bowling, And Pakistan did that today beautifully. They certainly did. I thought they thoroughly deserved their win today by seven wickets. So that's quite comprehensive, isn't it? It seemed a bit tighter than that, I've got to say. But nevertheless, in the end, it has been emphatic. I thought their bowling set it up.

Shaheen Afridi was outstanding in terms of his line. He got a good rhythm going. he got some bounce three for 28 and three maidens really set the tone for the innings really the others had their moments I mean Wahab won for 50 odd and so on

Shadab was always tight as well on this surface just the same as Santana was until he came back for the last three overs so it was a surface that was slow you had to get in on it It was a working kind of diligence, rewarded pitch. And I thought that Pakistan did that better, and they saw off the dangerous periods better than New Zealand did.

New Zealand lost early wickets. They fought, then clawed their way back in through one partnership of over 100 with the two all round as de Grondominium. 237, you thought, or 236, you thought, maybe 25% you might win, say one in four of those games on a surface because it's like this. But then I think New Zealand's selection policy was just a wee bit exposed.

And if they had had another spinner, perhaps, it might have been. And that was exacerbated when Williamson himself had to come on and bowl eight overs. And even he got a wicket and he hasn't bowled at all this year in any game. So that showed that maybe he felt to himself, we were a bit short and light in that area.

However, Pakistan played him very, very intelligently, and they played Santner very intelligently. The Pakistan fielding in the previous game against South Africa was woeful. I mean, five-drop catches, and they still managed to win the game, and these little things are highlighted, and we mentioned right at the start of the program

about Mickey Arthur's response to when one of the, you know, a fairly loaded question from a journalist, I wonder if he gets any this evening. but their fielding today was again at a different level. They seemed to feed off what the energy given from the support that they were given here at Edgebaston, but they just took it to another level.

Absolutely. I mean, myself and Jeremy were talking about this earlier, like the amount of stress that Mickey Arthur's had to put up with these kind of progressively been losing more and more weight as the tournament's gone on. It's like the third man at the end of the tournament. It's the best weight loss routine in the world just to be the Pakistan cricket coach.

It's just that level of stress. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, there were holes in that performance against South Africa. They won the game, and that was great, but there were a lot of holes in that performance. Everybody highlighted the seven dropped catches, the chances that were given to South Africa. They didn't pounce on them, but we knew that this New Zealand team absolutely would. You give them an inch, they take a mile. We saw that with that partnership that developed towards the second half of the New Zealand in England. Pakistan should have been looking to close them down after 48 for 4.

They should have been closing them down from 150, maybe 160, to let them get away to 333 to 236. You're thinking, okay, you're dealing with a serious team here that won't let you mess around. They had to be more comprehensive today in the way they approached that chase. There were no holes in there. There was a couple of drop chances. But, you know, those kind of things that sometimes go for you, you go against you, aside. They were very, very much in control. You know, Haris and Barber batted with the kind of response.

We've been waiting for this from Barber because he's been all promised. He's had some flashes of brilliance, but you worry that he goes the way of his cousins like Omar Akmal, like Hamar Anakmal, who never really... Having a go at Barbara, this guy averages 52 in one-day international cricket. I've never seen anyone get as much grief on the life for someone who averages that total. When you think about the big games that he's played in, he's not delivered in the way that Pakistan had wanted him to. This performance is going to be an iconic one for him, one that people will refer to, will remember, because it was at a crucial juncture in the World Cup, it was in a do-or-die scenario for them. He won them the game.

He showed intelligence, class, stroke, play, but more than anything, he got the job done. Let's look at it now, just take it forward a little bit, and we're going to start with New Zealand. Now, their first defeat in this competition, they've got 11 points, they've got credit in the bank. They've got two games remaining in Australia and then England, Australia at Lords, England at Chesterless Streets. You're still pretty confident New Zealand are going to be one of those four quarter-finalists, Jeremy? Well, if they can keep their net run rate going, which, I mean, I don't know quite how those things are calculated, to be honest. That's in the bells of some room somewhere. but it took to the 50th over here

so I don't think it will be markedly affected and if they can play well against one of those two sides which would really do them a great deal of you know some confidence from them if they could really compete well and strive then that will if they do manage to get through they'll take a lot out of that do you foresee Ishodi may be playing a part in the forthcoming matches

well if you didn't play here How can he play? The answer to that is no, if I'm going to impose the same logic on myself, I don't see him playing if he's not going to play in these sort of turning conditions. Okay. As for Pakistan, well, again, that fourth place, the race for fourth, is squeezing up England on eight with Bangladesh and Pakistan on seven. Which situation would you rather be in?

Pakistan, with Afghanistan and Bangladesh to come, or England who have got a point more, but they still have India and then New Zealand to come. Whose seat would you rather be in? I think absolutely you'd rather be in Pakistan. I mean, with the greatest respect to Afghanistan and Bangladesh, you would expect a Pakistani team performing to their potential to beat those teams, if not comprehensively,

in a way that you'd expect them to beat those teams. Whereas England versus India, England losing to India, it wouldn't be a shocker to anybody because India is a very strong team. And likewise with New Zealand, they've put in some stunning performances. They've shown that they've got depth in their performance as well, where one element might not be working, but another element might overcompensate for that in some way.

So I think Pakistan will feel really good about this. It was just watching Sirfras do his post-match interview. There was a hint of a smile on his face. Almost. Almost. He can't smile yet. He can't. He's been hit with so many different things in this tournament.

But the hint of the smile indicates to me that there's a bit of hope in him as well. he feels really good about this performance and they just need to keep that good mood, that good vibe, that potential going into the next game. Well, the parallels with 1992 continue after it was lost one, washout, lost, lost, one, one,

exactly the same in 2019. In 92, they lifted the trophy, the cornered tigers of Imran Khan's Pakistan team. So it's obviously, you might as well just inscribe their name on the World Cup trophy right now. Can I just burst one bubble about this particular thing? I'm very sorry to everybody

who loves the romanticism of that particular comparison in that World Cup there were nine teams in this World Cup there are 10 teams so I'm sorry guys I'm sorry the mirror thing is going to end soon

I'm very sorry from now New Zealand have tasted defeat just finally from you Jeremy it is of course not a taste that they will enjoy pretty much but you know they have played some pretty good cricket

and I mentioned about that credit in the bank that they've got their performances over the first course where do they go what for your perspective what do they need to improve on for the final couple of games? Well, batting for a start. They've tried to set now twice in this tournament.

They've got 290 against the West Indies. They're losing early wickets too often. They're being saved by partnerships a little bit and usually one partnership. And I just feel that there are still question marks about the batting and when they'll be under pressure against Australia and England

their bowlers will put New Zealand batting under more pressure than they've actually had so far I think so that's certainly one area is it the top of the order it's your biggest concern well it is if you've got the last four partnerships opening partnership

01215 and so and two down at the very least at the 10 over mark every game Three today, two down. And so that's quite hard to recover from, I think. And so they're not making totals that they ought to. So there's one part of the problem.

I think Ferguson and Bolt are doing their job. I think Henry, if it's seeming, is certainly a decent option. But I think Santner at the moment isn't quite doing the job in terms of wickets for New Zealand through the middle. He's relying on Ferguson at the other end to do his bit as well. And the fifth bowler is, there's a slight question mark about the Nisham de Grondom Axis, really, I think as well. So there are a few little cracks in the New Zealand armoury, if you like. And I do think that if you hear from Williamson all the time, it's reiterated, it's rammed down your throat. we must adapt to the conditions we must adapt now if the players and he's talking to the players

and if it's okay for the players then i think selectors might think that they could do the same so there's some unveiled criticism andy salzum oh some numbers on new zealand struggle in the opening power play they've lost 10 wickets in six innings inside the first 10 overs that's the most wickets any team has lost in that opening power play they're averaging 30.1 that's the lowest of any team in the opening 10 overs. Australia either way averaging 89. And New Zealand and South Africa are bottom of that list. South Africa had the best record in the opening 10 overs

in between the two World Cups. New Zealand were fourth. And they're the only two teams that are faring worse in the opening power play during the World Cup than they had in the previous four years. So it's clearly something of an issue for New Zealand. Pakistan have two finish, Pakistan have two games to finish

of Afghanistan and Bangladesh and they're going to be at the home of cricket they're going to be at Lords and so for the final game for the final game sorry it's Leeds Leeds on Saturday

so small the piece of writing that I was looking at says I thought it was Lords it is Leeds my apologies but again two you know I watched them against Afghanistan

in one of the warm up games in Bristol and they were defeated by Afghanistan it was a fabulous day for them but I think they'll probably feel a little bit burnt by that and even Saffer Now, will there be a discernible change in the outlook from Pakistan media, from Pakistan supporters about the performances that they have put in over the last couple of games?

Well, I mean, the supporters never change. It's like they might have their moments of like, you know, being upset and aggressive and just having that emotional response. They're always going to do that. That's what Pakistani fans do. But ultimately, you still saw 24,000 Pakistani fans turn. I'm guessing about 24,000 of them here today were Pakistani fans at Edgebast. And they turned up in huge numbers to create a wonderful atmosphere for the team. And, you know, it's a must be a difficult thing for a player batting

when everybody in the stadium is creating this atmosphere and they're chanting a name over and over again. Like, oh, Mary. Do you expect the same at Leeds? And do you expect the same at the Homer Cricket? Well, I mean, I suspect there may be a slide drop of interest for that Afghanistan game because some casual fans will see it as more of a foregone conclusion, which is not to say that it is, not at all.

As you mentioned, they lost to Afghanistan in the warm-up. I think Pakistan will still come at it, business-like, they've got to come at it business-like, because that's a banana skin match for them if they've lost to them once before. They can certainly lose to them again. They've lost to Bangladesh before in the World Cup as well. But there's a lot on the line, even for Bangladesh, who could be coming into that game, turning it into a virtual eliminator for the fourth place spot, right? So, Pakistan need to just maintain this level of excellence that they've demonstrated today

and make sure they don't give too many openings to the opposition. If that happens, they've got a very good chance. at the semifinals. It's a really wonderful period. It's the next couple of weeks. It's wide open. It's a week or so. Fantastic.

Fantastic. I mean, India are hovering, of course. They are on nine points, I think, at the moment. And there are four extra games. Even if they lose two, they still get through. So there are two, I think, fairly certain, nailed down. So it's the last two positions. Well, New Zealand have 11.

Even if they lose, they'll still have 11. Okay. And if Pakistan comes through. and win the next two, they'll have 11 at that point. And then it comes down to England and their games. So whether they are able to get through or not, we'll wait and see. It's just wonderfully set up, Andy. And the rainout games might end up proving hugely influential.

Absolutely. Let's catch up with some reaction then from the New Zealand camp. Jimmy Nisham was the star of the show for them today. And Brian Waddle caught up with him. Jimmy Nisham, I suppose in this kind of competition it was always likely to happen. unbeaten record. You've lost it today? Yeah, I mean coming into this tournament we were prepared to lose a game or two and obviously to get off to the start we got off to was really really pleasing but I think everyone knows Pakistan are a really dangerous unit and

the way they came out with the new ball today and put us on the back foot. It was always going to be hard to kind of recover from that. We did a decent job but potentially we needed a couple of work on ourselves. I guess you're happy with the way you bat a bit of in losing performance, it doesn't feel quite the same, does it? Yeah, it certainly doesn't feel the same, I think. Yeah, at number six, I think you've got to be adaptable. Obviously, to come in at, I think, 46 for four or something on those lines, I think you sort of have to soak up a bit of pressure.

And, yeah, as I mentioned before, we just couldn't quite, I suppose, put enough pressure back on them to get a total that was defendable. And the end result was you got a couple of wickets on, and you had a chance here with the spinners and the action. but in the end result the target was too easy for them in the end. Yeah, I think it showed the value of getting guys to face a lot of balls. I think if we'd managed to get a wicket or two through the middle, I think guys would have struggled immensely to start against spin on that wicket.

But as I mentioned before, the way Harris and Baba batted through the middle didn't give us that chance to get an opening. And I think they probably paced it quite well in the end, but we were never out of it. Well, let's get a Pakistan perspective. Then there, Captain Saffiraz Ahmed, we're speaking with Rommis, Roger. And Safaraz Ahmed, the winning captain. And Safras, first, what about this crowd? I mean, even the dead bat were being appreciated.

I mean, every dot was being appreciated because they understood the situation you were going through in that one chase. Bismillah, first of all, thanks to the majority. I think definitely crowds always support behind Pakistan team. They always share up there. No Pakistan team, and anything do it. So that's why they support, and thank you very much

all the girl to support us. So the best thing about this performance is your feeling, outstanding. in catching? Definitely. Fielding is a very important part. Unfortunately, we didn't, we're not feeling as a unit, not do well in previous matches. So we work hard in our practice matches and the way we took catches, I think is good for us.

Yeah, I mean, when Pakistan is pushed in a corner, you get to see their best cricket. Do you agree? Definitely, whenever a Pakistan team like that, the Pakistan have to go with the best cricket playing the way today we're playing. I think it's a great team effort, first of all, care to go to the bowlers. the way Amir started and I think Shahin Shah bowled really well and in the middle of her, Shadab. And all the ballers bowled really well and in the end, the way Bavar Azam and Harris field betting, I think one of the finest betting I've ever seen. Are you feeling confident?

Must be after these two terrific wins. Yes, as a team, we are very confident, so hopefully we will do well in next matches as well, Inshad. All right, okay, fantastic win today, Weldon, and all the best. Thank you, thank you so much. Now, Jeremy is going to stay with me and we're joined by Graham Swan as we reflect on England's disappointing result against Australia yesterday. Stark's on his way, Bowles and Rashid hits out into the offside, he's caught, and a thoroughly disappointing performance

by England comes to an end. They've lost here to Australia as a bit of convincing victory for them. They've lost by 64 runs. It's another failure to chase. And that does put England in a spot of trouble now. Well, definitely a spot of trouble. They face a fight to make the semi-final stage with Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh all right in the hunt to make it through.

Johnny Barstow opened the batting at Lords and he told Five Live earlier that England were good with the ball but needed more luck on their side. I think we balled pretty well. We were just slightly unlucky in that first 10 overs. We could have quite easily had

two or three wickets within that first 10 overs. I think it's obviously there was an umpire's call there were some edges that didn't necessarily go to hand and on a different day then all of a sudden

instead of being 35 for non after 10, 40 for 10 for 10 they're 30 for 3 and that's exactly what we were. So I think from a bowling point of view, we bowled well and restricted them well, taking six for 100 wickets in the last 20 overs. And then obviously with the bat, we know how dangerous they can be early on,

and we lost early wickets. So the scenario for England, as they lay in fourth position in the table, eight points from seven games with two games to come. That is India and New Zealand, so tough opposition for England to come. Graham Swan, who has won a world trophy with England back in 2010 for the World T20. over in the West Indies.

Let's go back a little bit. Yeah, can I just start? Just sorry, before that, that Johnny Berso interview there fills me with more dread. Why? In anything else, because he wasn't honest. If that's the sense

of sort of injustice and unluckiness pervying through the team, then they're not going to win anything. They weren't unlucky in the first ten compared to Australia. Australia pitched it up a yard fuller, so they brought the stumps into play more. Those edges that didn't go to hand, the balls that umpires were going over the

because England bowl is slightly too short. It looked brilliant. It really did beating the bat, nibbling about. They won the tossing bold in head-ball-friendly conditions. Australia were 100 for none by mixing careful, watchful batting with aggression. And yes, you ride your luck a little bit, but if you stumped up being attacked enough. So I'd rather Johnny Bester there said, yeah, we could find ourselves lucky. We were 30 for three.

They weren't. Why is that? That's what we're going to find out. But that sounds like an excuse-ridden. The interesting thing is whichever member of the England team has spoken subsequently after the defeat to Australia

everybody has said, we were unlucky we bow well in that first ten overs, so either is this a team message is this again going into a sort of siege mentality where we say well we can't let them think that we're... Or do they genuinely think they bowed well? I think they genuinely

think that they were unlucky and they bowled really well. Former New Zealand Captain Jeremy Coney is also alongside us. I just I have to play a slightly more passive role in this I've got to say. Well, I'm going to delve into your sort of captaincy. Your both flies on walls in the England dressing room. Do you think with what Graham is suggesting now in the comments that come out in interviews and in the media,

you know, it goes around the world, there is a difference between what is said in public and actually what is said behind closed doors. The messages of positivity and unfortunate that we hold the wrong lens here and we played the wrong way there or, you know, is actually different to what's going on within the dressing room? Yeah, I think there's always been a difference

between what, the private and the public. It seems to me, history always tells you in terms of the game, you cannot play one way. You cannot just say, we have found the universal answer to this. And the universal answer seems to be certainly that is touted to me has been freedom.

Well, freedom has always had responsibilities attached to it. I'm afraid. You know, you can't hand responsibility. You can't feel comfortable handling responsibility to the next person in the order and then the next person in the

order and so on. You are representing every number six, if you are, number six throughout the country. And that comes with something. And so that's a first point. In other words, there are times when freedom can cost you. And history says that.

Anyone, otherwise it would be an easy game, Charles. See, this is the exact sort of point that Jeremy is making. This is what every commentator is saying at the moment about England. And this is what England are believing. And I believe England have got to their position over the last two years, but almost by living by the sword, a little bit and dying by the sword. But by saying that we're not going to think, like that. Headingly,

they did exactly that. They tried to be responsible, not for themselves. They batted in a completely different way against Sri Lanka, in the way they, and I'm not saying just tee off and have freedom. I'm saying in your outlook, in your, the positive approach, your body language, everything. At no point were they the aggressor

in that innings. They were submissive. They allowed Sri Lanka to bowl, all the Sri Lanka bowls to attack. And then at the end of the game, rather than say, we actually got that wrong, we should have put them on the back foot more. They turned around said, we got it right, we just had a bit of bad luck. that all didn't their experience players perform well that's what I'm saying I'm not saying at all

that you just go on and try and get 500 I just think this England team is trying to appease people on the outside whereas before they've never done that they've always been almost you know when they got two years you've bowled out for 100 just trying to tee off and they're playing they turn around and back themselves

they went well this is what we're trying to do sounds to me as if you're describing there they're just believing in the brand I don't I don't subscribe to any of that. I don't think they aren't. I think at the minute they're not. They're questioning their own method

that's got them to number one. Well, for me anyway, if I was, say, in charge of a New Zealand side, I would always talk about, and I think to some extent, Williamson does, he said we've got to adapt. And that's another way of saying the presiding geniuses in a game of cricket

are the conditions. It determines the length you bowl. Yes. It determines who's going to take wickets today. It determines what shots you're going to play. It determines the fielding positions and so on. They determine always whether it's going to be a tough run chase or whether it's going to be something that should be a bit of a breeze

if we just concentrate and see this through. We'll win. You know, all those kind of decisions are made for you by the conditions. You cannot, if you're playing against a decent team, for me, pretend that the conditions don't exist and we've already decided on the piece of paper but you play on grass we've already decided on a piece of paper how are we going to play

nothing wrong with trying to be positive and those sort of things that's fine that's fine what does it mean though a good positive defence stroke a good positive leave says a lot to the bowler a shimmy down the and even if you just just shot and have a second bailout option

this is exactly what I'm talking about it's being aggressive it's showing intent and show him willing. Sure, you can do those things. It's obviously, if we're talking about England, are we in this case? Well, it's obviously, I haven't watched a lot of England's games closely, but it's clearly gone awry. My way of thinking is a bowling team,

the way England have played over the last couple of years, I know as a bowler, before you go into a tournament, I used to look at batting lineups, teams I'm going to bowl at players, and you read down the team, they spark emotional response in you. If I looked at a team full of left-handers, I've got that before thinking, we'll beat them. I'll win that game for us. If I looked at a team full of right-handed batsman

who I knew were going to be aggressive to me. I don't want them to be aggressive. I want them to be submissive. Allow me to bowl. And when I say aggressive, I don't mean running down the wicket every ball and batting headlessly. Jeremy is exactly right.

But in control. In control? Yeah. So if I'm bowling offspin at a right-handed batsman, the two things I do not want him to do are use his feet and sweep well. So if a batsman proves to me, if a second or third ball on my spell,

if I've landed the first two, thinking, right, how am I going to get him out? He uses his feet and drives me down the ground, then the next ball feigned and sweeps it hard. My margin ferret is now tiny. It's the same pitch that it would have been had he defended four balls. Had he defended those four balls, my margin fray was huge, and I'm still thinking, how am I going to get him out? All of a sudden, I'm thinking, how do I stop him scoring? And that is the mindset. That is what England have got to get away from.

It's not about freedom and all that, the wrong words, what they should be saying. it's just mindset and it's a every single ball is a battle, it's a two-man battle in the middle of a V bowler you have to make the bowler and what England have done for so long and got to number one is nearly every batsman has made that bowler be submissive

as in when he's running up to bowl not thinking about how am I getting this bloke out thinking how do I stop him scoring? Thanks to Graham and Jeremy. Now then, let's hear from Joe Root. He's been speaking to Stefan Schemelt about England's approach as they look ahead to India on Sunday. Joe, thanks for joining the Test Match Special podcast. This England One Day team's been so good for four years.

Why do you think that you're not getting it quite right when it matters the most? I think we've been, I agree with you, we've been very good for four years, but we're not been perfect for four years. I think that in the last two games, we've just been as that. And two hiccups, it's very easy to pigeonhole the side to, you know, not performing where we could be or how we want to. I look at it as we've got two very big opportunities to get into that semi-final and then from that point on it looks very different. Things change very quickly in tournament cricket.

Look at where we were sat a week ago after that Afghanistan game. and it was England very much right at the front of the pack lead in the way and now look at sides of pretty much writteners off which I think it's a great opportunity to prove a few people wrong and to come out and play in the manner we know we can against two strong oppositions do you look at it now as if you win four games you're the world champions is it that simple I think it's a great way of looking at it I think what we've got to be better at is just looking at the basics of the game and things that have served us

really well like building big partnerships creating partnerships with the ball building pressure that way which you know i thought today we're a bitly unlucky in the first turnovers who create a lot of half chances things that could very could have made the game look very different and made the chase very different as well but ultimately we know that as a batting it when we build those big partnerships and we back for two guys back for a 20 over period say we're going to put sides under pressure we're going to score freely and we're going to win a lot of games of cricket and we just got to keep focusing on individually what that looks like and as a team putting it together out on the field because when we do that we are the best

team in the world as that's proven as we've proven for the last four years doesn't get any easier though does it? Sunday, Edgebaston, India it's going to be both a big challenge on the field and quite an atmosphere off it. Yeah, it's a tasty one, isn't it? One really looking forward to, I suppose with it being ramped up even more, makes it even more mouth-watering

for me anyway. I think it's a great opportunity for us if we win these last two games. You could argue that we'd be in the best position possible to when the semi-final start. So there's a number of ways looking at, as I say, in a week's time, tournament cricket things can look very differently.

And we've got to stay quite calm. As I say, look at the things that we know we'll make us a better team and will put us back to our best. And trust that when we do that, we are the best team in the world. You're the test captain. You've had experience of having to pick a team up after suffering disappointments. So what do England do over the next few days, both to bounce back from the Australia defeat

and to make sure that you're in the perfect place to team? take on India? I think having a day to reflect on it, maybe take some frustration out, be a little bit emotional individually. And then when we come back together at practice, just have real clarity and how we're going to approach things. I enjoy the two training days, get revved up for a really big game on Sunday and really harness what is now the business end of a very exciting World Cup in England. As simple as that really, I think you don't need too much incentive.

It's all there for you as players. Morg's is a very strong leader. He'll make sure that everyone's in the best space possible going into that game. And, you know, we I'm sure we'll make sure that we're ready to go when we need to be. Any Mario Kart? There hasn't been actually for a few weeks.

Maybe that's the secret. get a few games of that. I have to get Woody around for a few nights and show me who's boss, yeah. Thanks, sir. Cheers, thanks. The TMS podcast, available every day during the Cricket World Cup. Well, then let's see if we can take off any more countries of the world

where people are listening to us. We passed the 150 mark yesterday. So we're going to start off with Pete Spittles. Andy Saltsman, of course, is alongside me to read and help out with some of these countries we're trying to tick off. Hi, guys, it says Pete, if you're still doing your country's list of people listening to the World Cup on TMS, then you can add Paraguay.

The first time I think about Paraguay, I think of Gary Linneka, 3-0. Hatrick, Mexico, 86. Anyway, I was listening from there yesterday to the England versus Australia game, and I am now at the Fos du Iguanuso waterfalls. That sounds like those two are causally linked. You listen to the game, and then you need to go to some waterfalls

to just calm down amidst nature. I'm sure they're named something different, and with them far better accent than mine. However, that's where he's been listening to. Paraguay gets a massive tick. Pete Kirk says, hello TMS team. Thank you for your wonderful podcast. Each day during the World Cup,

it's making the tournament all the more enjoyable by being able to reflect on the day's play by listening to you all. I thought you may be interested to know that your broadcast will listen to earlier this year in Malawi. We already have that, I'm afraid, as myself and a couple of work colleagues were invited to a district of Salima

by the amazing charity Starfish Malawi. Now, what do you suppose? that involves? I don't know. Is it more starfishes for on the menus of the Malawian restaurants? Well, I was just thinking health and well-being of starfish in general. Yep. We were asked to help out with various activities

at the charity run to help the local village children in the schools. As part of our remit to assist with lessons and after-school clubs, we introduced them to the finest of all sports cricket, not just the finest of all sports, the finest of all things in the universe. Let's get that clear. On occasions, we were presented with over 100 children at any one time, and more

come running from the villages every time we set up our wickets. Maybe that's something the hundred should involve a hundred children running onto the pitch. They do. We don't know yet. After a hard teaching cricket day in the heat and high humidity, I relax with a TMS podcast or tough as and warm before climbing under the mosquito net for a good night's rest. Thanks again to the TMS team. Thanks a lot of your email. Pete, unfortunately, we have Malawi ticked off our list,

so go and go somewhere else. But it's very, very interesting. Is there a country bordering Malawi? And obviously, Andy, you know the map of Africa perfectly off the top of your head. And I just wonder if there's a country bordering on Malawi that we haven't yet ticked off. And if there is, and if we haven't,

therefore get in your car in Malawi, take a few starfish and then head to that particular destination. Billy Newman writes, not sure if you've ticked Cot d'Avri. Cot de Bois. Do you want to just pick that up again? No, I like that. the way I said it.

Keep this in. Keep all of this in. Right? Don't let this go into the... Don't edit this out. This is the way that the podcast... This is how we do it, right? It's cot d'oeuvry.

So, Billy Newman writes, not sure if you... Billy Newman writes, not sure if you ticked Cot devoir and Burkina Faso off the map yet. I'm currently on a business trip in Abidjan. listening to the Pakistan-New Zealand game. I'm travelling back to London via, oh, here we go.

Oogadougu tomorrow, and we'll be listening to the West Indies India in the airport there. Hope this helps. Billy, not one jot. Right. We are still looking for 42 more countries, including Afghanistan, North Korea and Uruguay. So if you or anyone you know lives or is heading abroad or going on a three-cornered holiday via Uruguay between North Korea and Afghanistan. Billy's ticked off too.

Right. Bikina Faso and the Ivory Coast. We're getting there. We are getting there. If you do, as you said, sorry to interrupt there, Andy, but I was just so staggered by Billy's. Just, he's ticked too off personally.

If everybody could do that, we would have done this in the first sort of week and a half. Anyway, do get in touch with us. TMS at BBC.co.com. UK is the email address if you want to get in touch with us, and we're so, so close. How many is it left, Andy? Forty two.

It says here, 42. We can do that. Yeah. The TMS podcast at the Cricket World Cup. Download and subscribe via the BBC Sounds app for a new episode every day.