Ashes 2013-14: England have been found out, admits Cook

Alastair Cook admitted England have been “found out” by Australia after the hosts regained the Ashes after winning the third Test by 150 runs.

Ben Stokes, as well as Tim Bresnan, provided some stubborn resistance after wicket-keeper Matt Prior fell early in the morning session in Perth.

England all-rounder Stokes secured his maiden England century before eventually being dismissed, with Graeme Swann and James Anderson falling in quick succession to hand Australia the Ashes urn.

After suffering heavy defeats in Brisbane and Adelaide, as well as a comfortable loss in Perth, Cook accepted England had been “outskilled in all aspects”.

There is always a balance between risk and reward and our shot selection has let us down

Alastair Cook

“We haven’t been good enough,” Cook told BBC Sport. “We’ve been outskilled in all aspects. It’s hard to say that as a player but that’s the truth.

“It hurts. We’ve got to work as hard as we can to turn things around.”

He added: “We knew what a good side they were in England.

“Any side coming to Australia, you have to be at the top of your game to compete. But we have been found out, we haven’t been good enough.

“They’ve been ruthless – ruthless in never letting us back in any game when they got ahead of us.

“We haven’t managed to score enough runs and whenever they needed a partnership they got it.

“There is always a balance between risk and reward and our shot selection has let us down.”