Australia captain Steve Smith is worried about his team's failure to convert potentially winning positions into victories after losing the one-day international series against India.
The visitors went down to the Virat Kohli-led side by five wickets in Indore on Sunday (24) after opener Aaron Finch had blasted 124 to give Australia the edge.
"We're quite often getting ourselves into good positions and we're not taking advantage of those, and today was no different," Smith said after the defeat that left his side trailing 3-0 in the five-match series.
"We continually address it and it's just hard to put the finger on exactly what it is we're doing or not doing to get the results we're after," he added.
Despite Finch's knock, Australia ended on 293-6, too small a score to defend at the batting-friendly Holkar Stadium.
This was not the first time the visitors had let India off the hook in the series. In the opening match India were at one stage 87-5 but posted a match-winning 281-7.
"It's been a bit of a trend for this format and the Test format as well," said a worried Smith.
Australia have won just three out of 17 matches across all three formats since a one-day series victory at home against Pakistan in January.
The current defeat was Australia's 11th loss in their past 13 ODIs away from home -- a worrying trend for the team that is two months away from a home Ashes series against England.
"It's a different format (the Ashes) but I'd certainly like to start winning some games of cricket in every format, to be honest," said Smith.
"We've got to start winning games of cricket. We've lost 11 of our past 13 games we've played away with two no results, so that's pretty ordinary. And not good enough from an Australian cricket team.
"So we need to start turning those results around and winning some games of cricket," he said.
Former Australia fast bowler Michael Kasprowicz defended the team's miserable run in India, saying it takes time adapting to sub-continent conditions.
The visitors, who drew a tough Test series in Bangladesh 1-1 before the latest one-day games, were undone by India's wrist spinners - with their batting faltering at crucial moments.
"In these conditions you expect the Indian players to be the best... it's a case of adapting your skills to suit the conditions here and it takes time," Kasprowicz said in New Delhi.
"It's difficult, because the conditions are so different from what we get in Australia, so that's part of the adjustment.
"Obviously that's something that you have got to do better and obviously with the Australian coaching team and with the staff around they will be doing that," Kasprowicz, a Cricket Australia member, added.
UK life sciences sector contributed £17.6bn GVA in 2021 and supports 126,000 high-skilled jobs.
Inward life sciences FDI fell by 58 per cent from £1,897m in 2021 to £795m in 2023.
Experts warn NHS underinvestment and NICE pricing rules are deterring innovation and patient access.
Investment gap
Britain is seeking to attract new pharmaceutical investment as part of its plan to strengthen the life sciences sector, Chancellor Rachel Reeves said during meetings in Washington this week. “We do need to make sure that we are an attractive place for pharmaceuticals, and that includes on pricing, but in return for that, we want to see more investment flow to Britain,” Reeves told reporters.
Recent ABPI report, ‘Creating the conditions for investment and growth’, The UK’s pharmaceutical industry is integral to both the country’s health and growth missions, contributing £17.6 billion in direct gross value added (GVA) annually and supporting 126,000 high-skilled jobs across the nation. It also invests more in research and development (R&D) than any other sector. Yet inward life sciences foreign direct investment (FDI) fell by 58per cent, from £1,897 million in 2021 to £795 million in 2023, while pharmaceutical R&D investment in the UK lagged behind global growth trends, costing an estimated £1.3 billion in lost investment in 2023 alone.
Richard Torbett, ABPI Chief Executive, noted “The UK can lead globally in medicines and vaccines, unlocking billions in R&D investment and improving patient access but only if barriers are removed and innovation rewarded.”
The UK invests just 9% of healthcare spending in medicines, compared with 17% in Spain, and only 37% of new medicines are made fully available for their licensed indications, compared to 90% in Germany.
Expert reviews
Shailesh Solanki, executive editor of Pharmacy Business, pointed that “The government’s own review shows the sector is underfunded by about £2 billion per year. To make transformation a reality, this gap must be closed with clear plans for investment in people, premises and technology.”
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) cost-effectiveness threshold £20,000 to £30,000 per Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) — has remained unchanged for over two decades, delaying or deterring new medicine launches. Raising it is viewed as vital to attracting foreign investment, expanding patient access, and maintaining the UK’s global standing in life sciences.
Guy Oliver, General Manager for Bristol Myers Squibb UK and Ireland, noted that " the current VPAG rate is leaving UK patients behind other countries, forcing cuts to NHS partnerships, clinical trials, and workforce despite government growth ambitions".
Reeves’ push for reform, supported by the ABPI’s Competitiveness Framework, underlines Britain’s intent to stay a leading hub for pharmaceutical innovation while ensuring NHS patients will gain faster access to new treatments.
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