Home Sports Nothing better than beating India to claim No.1 ranking: Cook

Nothing better than beating India to claim No.1 ranking: Cook

By IANS,

Dubai: England’s one-day captain Alastair Cook is confident of his team’s chances against India in the upcoming four-match Test series and says there will be nothing “better” then beating the number one side to get to the top.

England, currently third in the ICC rankings, will dislodge India from the top if they win the home series by at least two Tests.

Cook says facing India will be a great challenge and England’s recent win over Sri Lanka in the Tests and One-day Internationals have taken them in the right direction.

“It has been a good couple of months and to win the series is very pleasing. We have certainly got a lot to prove. We know as an English side, we know that we have to win. We have made a step in the right direction,” said Cook on ICC Cricket World Radio Show.

The Southpaw silenced critics of his one-day game by scoring 298 runs in five-matches against Sri Lanka and now wants to replicate the stupendous performance against India.

“It is going to be a great summer, we need to go back to Test mode. We want to be World No.1 in the Test rankings. They have got some players who will go down as all-time greats. But I am very confident that if we play well, we will be a hard side to beat,” said Cook.

The series begins with the first Test at Lord’s July 21.