England urged to be ruthless and whitewash Sri Lanka by winning final Test at Lord’s
England batting coach Mark Ramprakash has urged Alastair Cook’s side to relocate their ruthless streak and whitewash Sri Lanka by claiming victory in the third and final Investec Test at Lord’s, which starts on Thursday.
The hosts hold an unassailable lead in the Test segment of the tour having racked up commanding victories at Chester-le-Street and Headingley, but have struggled over the past couple of years to end series on a high note.
England have lost the final match in each of their past five series, dating back to their tour of the West Indies in early 2015, something which Ramprakash is abundantly clear needs to change.
“I think the players are very much aware of that,” he said. “I’m sure it will be reiterated over the next couple of days.
“I hope the lessons will have been learned because this group of players have come unstuck in the last Test, most recently in South Africa. That wasn’t a good feeling, so we hope the guys will want to finish the job off this week.”
Pakistan fast bowler Mohammad Amir, meanwhile, who was banned and imprisoned after being found guilty of spot-fixing in a Test at Lord’s in 2010, is set to face England next month after being granted a visa.