England players still supporting me, says coach Chris Silverwood

Melbourne, Dec 28 (SocialNews.XYZ) England coach Chris Silverwood feels the players are responding to his coaching methods and still supporting him as a coach despite the innings and 14-run defeat by Australia in the third Test, here on Tuesday.

Asked whether the players were responding to his coaching techniques, Silverwood told BT Sport. "I think they are. We had a good honest chat after the last game. We just have to put performances together and start pushing back (against Australia)."

England's latest dismal show with the bat means they have passed 200 just twice in six innings in the series, while they have now lost nine and won just one of their previous 12 Test matches.

Silverwood also stressed that England do know their best team but the four changes made for the Boxing Day Test -- Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow, Jack Leach, and Mark Wood coming in for Rory Burns, Ollie Pope, Stuart Broad, and Chris Woakes -- were needed after crushing defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide.

"We do know who our best 11 players are, but we had to make changes after the first two games. We knew we had good people to come in. We have some world-class players and some youngsters who are learning on the job constantly. We have to try and give them some confidence. We know they have the ability and we do back them. We have to give them the opportunity to show what they can do in the last two Tests," Silverwood added.

"I have to give credit to the Australia attack [especially] Scott Boland for bowling as well as he did in that second innings. Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc are also world-class. That said, we have to find a way of competing, find a way of pushing back and scoring runs against them," said the coach.

Source: IANS