England batsmen urged to shun respect and punish Indian spinners at Edgbaston

England captain Alastair Cook has acknowledged that his side's batsmen struggled against the Indian spin attack ahead of their fourth ODI at Edgbaston, which is often a haven for that type of bowling.

It is not much consolation for England to learn that they are now taking on the number one-day side in the world, thanks to ICC taking into account Zimbabwe beating Australia and India's success against the hosts in their last two encounters. So India is placed at the top spot while England are loitering at number five.

Cook acknowledged that the problem is against spin bowling, especially on a surface that offers them some assistance and it is not new and the problem for sensitive, diffident batsmen is one that constantly exercises the brain, The Guardian reported.

England batsmen could be haunted at Edgbaston, where the ball has been known to grip just enough for spinners. Certainly Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will toy with the hosts' batting line up by introducing his spinners at the earliest opportunity.

The chances for England avoiding a third successive win against the Indian spin attack lies with their batsmen getting aggressive. The hosts should thus display less respect towards India's spinners and hit the ball hard against the tourists, the report added.