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England batsman Alastair Cook admits a Test series win over Pakistan would be perfect send-off ahead of the Ashes series this winter.

The hosts go into a four-match Test match home series, which starts at Lord’s on Thursday, after a disappointing 5-0 NatWest Series loss to Sri Lanka.

However, Cook feels the team can turn it around in the five-day format ahead of the trip to Australia.

Injuries have not helped their progress this summer but Cook — who made most of his chance to cement a regular place in top order — feels England must learn from their mistakes if they want to get back to winning ways. “We’re all striving for a series victory. We’ve had a meeting about it and we all want to go to Australia on back of a morale-boosting series win which would be a perfect lead-in to Australia,î he said.

Cook will be a part of the batting line-up that is without injured duo Michael Vaughan, who is recovering from a fourth operation on his knee, and Andrew Flintoff. Paul Collingwood will be called upon to try and fill in as all-rounder, while Ian Bell is recalled after being left out for the series against Sri Lanka.
Source:The News