JOIN USCook stands tall as Englishmen seize initiative
Not many sportspersons had gone through such struggle and scrutiny as Alastair Cook did in the last one-year or so.
From an Ashes winning, high scoring captain, Cook had transformed into an uncertain figure in a matter of few months. Just as the cries were getting louder for his ouster Cook made a fifty (82 n.o.) on the opening day of the third Test against India at the Ageas Bowl, temporarily silencing his detractors and opening the path to a substantial first innings total for England.
England were 186 for one at tea with Garry Ballance (72 n.o.) giving solid company to Cook. India, as expected, swapped Stuart Binny for Rohit Sharma. But they had to make an unexpected change as Ishant Sharma, who tormented England at Lord’s with a seven-wicket haul, had to sit out with a niggle.
The visitors drafted in Rajasthan pacer Pankaj Singh, who made his debut. England made three changes, bringing in Jos Buttler for Matt Prior, Chris Woakes for Liam Plunkett and Chris Jordan for Ben Stokes.
However, Cook offered the story of the day. There was enough help for the bowlers on a pitch that offered good amount of bounce on a day that remained largely overcast. Bowling full, Pankaj created an early chance to dismiss Cook, who edged the pacer to Ravindra Jadeja at third slip but he spurned an easy chance.
Cook was on 15 then, and that reprieve appeared to instill some confidence into the Essex left-hander. He was looking equally determined in the second innings at Lord’s, before edging Ishant to stumper MS Dhoni. On this day, Cook was simply not willing to depart cheaply. Of course, there was that edginess in Cook’s batting in the early phase of the innings.
It has become a part of his batsmanship in the last year or so, leading to many uncharacteristic errors outside the off-stump. The first hint of Cook’s resistance came in the fifth ball of 20th over. The southpaw climbed over the ball and cut Bhuvneshwar Kumar past the cover fielder to fetch himself four runs.
Great timing
As the day progressed, it became a feature of Cook’s batting. Indian bowlers offered him ample width outside the off-stump, and Cook cut it with great timing and elan. The absence of Ishant too seemed to have affected the Indians, who struggled to find a spark. Usually, Ishant does the dual role of workhorse and enforcer, and here, there was none to fit that bill.
Pankaj bowled with a lot of heart but he was far away from being a man-to-man replacement for the Delhi pacer.
It was a similar case with Bhuvneshwar and Mohammad Shami too. Bhuvneshwar had bowled at an impeccable length thus far in this series, hardly allowing the batsmen to either drive or cut. But this day, the Uttar Pradesh man lost his sense of direction, spraying the ball either wide or onto the pads of the batsmen and they were easy meat for them.
Admittedly, Shami bowled a better length often beating the outside edge, particularly of Cook. The wicket of Sam Robson came as a reward for his persistent line, an attempt to nudge the bowler around ending in the hands of Jadeja at leg-slip.
Cook and Robson added 55 runs, making it the best opening stand for England in this series. However, strangely, Shami too began to err in his length as the day wore on, presenting the batsmen with at least one hit-me-ball an over.
England went into lunch at a satisfying 78 for one. Cook and Ballance ensured that the post-lunch session belonged to England, adding 108 runs in 34 overs. In this phase, Ballance began to play with a lot more freedom, reflected in the nine boundaries he scored in the second session alone. The left-hander from Yorkshire was unafraid to drive or cut when the opportunity presented.
Cook, at other end, soon completed his fifty, a first in several innings, with a pulled brace off Shami. The packed house stood on its feet and applauded a truly remarkable show of grit from which England benefitted massively and India suffered.