The Ashes: Cook urges seniors to perform in Sydney Test to avoid whitewash

Johannesburg: England captain Alastair Cook has urged his team`s senior players to pull out outstanding scores in the fifth and final Ashes Test in Sydney to avoid the ignominy of a 5-0 whitewash against Australia.

The rampant Australians strolled to a convincing eight-wicket victory over the beleaguered tourists in Sunday`s fourth Melbourne Test to lead the series 4-0 and stand on the brink of a 5-0 series rout in the Sydney Test, which would be a repeat of the 2006-07 series in Australia. According to Sport24, Cook, whose position as captain looks shaky after his team has been comprehensively outplayed by Australia, has defended his players who crumbled under pressure after holding a 51-run innings lead only to be bowled out for 179 in their second innings. Stating that they have some good and record-breaking players in the their dressing room, Cook however, said that they need those players to score an outstanding 100 or an outstanding five-for (wickets) in Sydney in order to save themselves an embarrassment of a 5-0 whitewash in the series. The report mentioned that Cook and fellow senior batsmen Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell have far from imposed themselves in this series, with Cook averaging 29, Pietersen 35.62 and Bell 31.00.