England Captain Alastair Cook said that added responsibility has brought the best out of him, says a report in The Indian Express.
"May be the added responsibility makes you more accountable to the side. That may have helped my batting...I really don't know if it happened that way but it's nice.
"As a captain you always want a good start with the bat... show that you can cope with the demands. That's how it has happened but I can't put a finger on how it happened," Cook said.
Cook said that he does not believe in momentum, he said, “After the first game it (momentum) was with India but we managed to bounce back in Mumbai. So, not really. With the series at 1-1, and two more matches to go, it's a good place to be as a player. You want to play in big games and that's what we have over the next two weeks. That's exciting."
On his teams’ superb performance in Mumbai, Cook said, “It (the Mumbai win) certainly left us a little more confident and belief that what we are doing is fine. That doesn't mean it is going to count for anything in this match. What we are doing on spinning tracks is right. But we need to improve on that, and we'll need it. We are going to need some stand-up performances like we did in Mumbai if we are to have a chance,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DNA reports Cook saying that Ricky Ponting was one of the best batsmen he has seen.
"He is an unbelievable competitor. I wish him all the best in his retirement." Cook said.
"I can’t really sum up on what he has achieved. As a batsman alone, he's among the best batters I've seen. We just could not get him out in 2006. He hits the ball as cleanly as I have ever seen a cricket ball being hit. As a player of fast bowling, he had all the time in the world, “ he added.