Pietersen the difference, insists Cook as England heed lesson

The previously prolific top order started 2012 in dreadful form, with Pakistan bundling them out for under 200 four times in six innings as they completed a 3-0 whitewash.

England picked up in the subsequent one-day series and a handful of Test specialists came out to Sri Lanka a week early to hone their technique against spin.

But high expectations were dashed as they made just 193 in the first innings in Galle, eventually going down by 75 runs and extending their losing sequence to four in a row.

England finally posted their first major total of the year in the second Test, making 460 and then chasing down a winning target of 94 for the loss of just two wickets on Saturday.

Cook, with 94 and 49 not out, was central to England’s performance, while Kevin Pietersen took the man-of-the-match honours with a stunning 151 and 42no on day five.

Now Cook is confident things are back on track.

“The bowlers have been outstanding all winter, but the batters haven’t got the runs we’d have liked,” he said.

“The Test match was normal service. We batted long periods and gave a chance to our bowlers to rest up.

“A score of 460 in the first innings is what you need to win games.

“It was a good team effort, but Kevin was outstanding...it was a match-winning effort.

“All the batsmen struggled to score quickly and he came in and got a 150 at almost a run a ball. That was really the difference between the two sides.

“The top three of me, Straussy and Jonathan Trott is there to give a platform for our stroke players like Kevin, Ian Bell and Matt Prior. We haven’t done that on these two tours but in this game we did.