Alastair Cook: I want to win the Ashes again Down Under

Not finished yet: Captain Cook is targeting success in Australia
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Tom Collomosse19 August 2015

Alastair Cook wants to become one of England’s longest-serving captains after he targeted winning the Ashes in Australia for a second time.

Cook was the star of the 2010-11 triumph Down Under but was skipper for Australia’s 5-0 whitewash three years later. Ahead of the fifth Ashes Test at The Kia Oval, which starts tomorrow, Cook allowed himself to imagine putting that right in the 2017-18 campaign in Australia.

Regaining the urn this summer has been a remarkable turnaround for Cook, who took over as captain in August 2012. Australia were favourites before the series and had they justified that tag, it is probable Cook would have stepped down but so much has changed in little more than a month.

“It would be the ultimate, the absolute ultimate, to go Down Under again and try to do what we did in 2010-11,” said Cook, who will be 33 during the 2017-18 series.

“That was the culmination of a lot of hard work, of years growing as a side after winning the Ashes in England in 2009. This side have the potential to do that. But there’s a big difference between potential and actually doing it. Who knows what will happen [with my future]? My approach at the beginning of the summer was possibly to finish [as captain]. But I think the way the side have played and the step we’ve made has given me a bit more confidence as captain.”

Nick Potts/PA

Cook also urged his players to show no mercy to Australia and seal an historic 4-1 victory. The Aussies were relentless 18 months ago when they defeated England in Melbourne and Sydney after reclaiming the Ashes in Perth and Cook wants England to copy that example.

He added: “Australia did it very well to us when they were 3-0 up in 2013-14 and they hammered us in the next two games as well. It would be good to have memories of beating Australia when they go into the next one.

“It’s really important that we try to win three in a row. We’ve been consistently inconsistent for a while.

“We turned that around by winning the last two Tests but two games isn’t good enough.”

Meanwhile, Pat Cummins is set to replace Josh Hazlewood in the Australia pace attack at The Kia Oval.

Hazlewood is suffering from shin soreness which means Cummins, who has played only one Test due to persistent injury problems, is preparing for his Ashes debut.

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