England need only short memories to empathise with the internal strife reportedly at large in the Australia dressing room.
It is less than a year since Kevin Pietersen's disenchantment was looming over England's preparations for a Lord's Test, and so it apparently is for Australia after revelations, from former coach Mickey Arthur, about the strained relations between captain Michael Clarke and senior all-rounder Shane Watson.
Alastair Cook was not about to divert yesterday from England's policy of declining to talk about any difficulties, or otherwise, facing the opposition. But invited to do so nonetheless, he did acknowledge the importance of a team pulling together and referenced England's own troubles not so long ago. "We know how important team spirit is; we know how important the team culture is, and we've experienced difficulties in the past," he said.
The name of Pietersen, since happily reintegrated under Cook's captaincy, was unspoken but unmistakable in context.
"For me to comment on what's happening in the Australia camp would be wrong – and anyone who saw what happened at Trent Bridge would see it doesn't seem to be affecting them," added Cook.
The epic Test in Nottingham had more than its share of controversies, most involving DRS, or in the incident which thrust Stuart Broad centre-stage, for declining to walk when he edged a ball to slip, the lack of a remaining third-umpire review after Australia had already used up their two permitted chances.
Not for the first time, Broad's feisty attitude was on show, and his captain does not want him to change, with bat or ball. "I think he wouldn't be half the player he is without that edge he's got," said Cook. "He loves the competition. It brings out the best in him, and actually a lot of his spells when he has taken five wickets very quickly have come when England have needed them the most.
"At The Oval [against Australia] in 2009, which pretty much launched his Test career in one way, they were 80 for nought or something like that, and then he takes five wickets very quickly. He's a great character, great fighter, and we're going to need 10 more of those guys over the next five days."
Who fills the role of third seamer, behind Broad and James Anderson, remains open to question, and there was nothing implicit or explicit from Cook, to conclude that either Steven Finn will definitely be retained after his off-colour performance at Trent Bridge or he will be usurped by either Tim Bresnan or Graham Onions.
Summing up the contenders' contrasting merits, Cook said: "On a hard, bouncy wicket you want a lot more pace; on a different wicket, you want control, and sometimes control can build pressure to create wickets. We're in a fine position at the moment in terms of fast-bowling stocks and it's always a tough call who we have in the side."
Clarke, at his press conference, would not entertain talk of any rift between himself and Watson, instead preferring to focus on the task at hand. "I've spoken a lot in the past about my relationship with Shane and so has Shane, so I'm not going to go into that," he said. "I'm not going to go backwards, it's about looking forward.
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