It can be hard to remember individual strokes from Alastair Cook, but the accumulative effect over the years has been a reassuring presence at the top of England’s order and there is still much more to come
George Dobell at Headingley30-May-20152:01
I’ve never been nervous in the twenties before’ – Cook
When architects know they cannot get away with the word “beautiful” to describe their latest creation, they often use the word “iconic” instead.The Gherkin in London is iconic. So is The Shard and The Bullring in Birmingham. Almost every building in Dubai might be described the same way.It is an expression that may also be applied to Alastair Cook. Cook is the producer of iconic innings. Rarely could you describe his batting as elegant or beautiful. Rarely do spectators purr with joy while watching him or kids go home and practice his nudge off the hips in the mirror.Instead, Cook provides a sense of reassurance. Like home insurance and breakdown cover, it might not be exciting, but you are glad it’s there.When people talk of Cook’s batting they tend not to talk of strokes or individual memories. Think of his highest score: the monumental innings – let’s call it iconic – of 294 against India at Edgbaston. It is hard to recall a single individual stroke.Instead they talk of the statistics. And eventually the weight of the runs scored, the records broken and the games shaped, overwhelm and admiration follows. He is now the top run scorer for England in Test history and the top century-maker for England in Test history. And he is just 30. Given decent fitness – and he remains as fit as anyone in this Test squad – he has a chance of surpassing even Sachin Tendulkar’s Test run-scoring record.Indeed, it is revealing to recall that, after that 294 it was not a celebratory Cook that spoke to the media. It was a Cook that regretted falling six short of a triple century. His hunger for runs will not easily be abated.It is one of the myths of modern cricket that batsmen – even in Test cricket – have to be positive. Yes, they have to put away the poor ball. And yes, they have to have to be positive in defence and attack. But just as there was a place for the likes of Geoff Boycott or Chris Tavare, there is still a place for the man who forces bowlers into second and third spells, who sees the shine off the ball, who accumulates rather than dominates and attempts to suffocate rather than destroy. Who plays, in short, old-fashioned Test cricket.There were two things to note at the moment Cook passed Graham Gooch’s record to become England’s most prolific run-scorer in Test history. The first was that he did it with a cover drive; a shot that was almost completely absent from his repertoire through the “lost weekend” of the second-half of 2013 and most of 2014. And yes, that is a long weekend.
He is benefiting from the space provide by his omission from England’s ODI side – a decision which may well prove to have been the making of him as he rises again as a Test batsman
It was another sign that his form has returned to something approaching its best. He is not simply plundering runs against an ordinary attack – far from it – or enjoying some improved fortune. He is benefiting from the space provide by his omission from England’s ODI side – a decision which may well prove to have been the making of him as he rises again as a Test batsman – and the technical work carried out in the nets with Gooch that has reminded him where his off stump is and allowed him to leave and defend with far greater certainty.The second was the reaction from the crowd. For the second time this summer, Cook received an unusually prolonged ovation which spoke not just of admiration for his batting but affection for his character, too.It was a similar story at the Ageas Bowl last summer. When Cook, hideously out of touch but fighting for his future, made it to lunch, the Southampton crowd greeted him with a warmth that reminded him that, for all the criticism in the media, he remains popular with the constituency he is meant to represent: the general public. London, Leeds and Southampton have all delivered the same message. As we learned at the General Election, it pays not to gauge the mood of the nation by Twitter.The depth of Cook’s resurgence will be probably measured on his success in this summer’s Ashes. His heroics in 2010-11 – when he averaged 127.66 in the five Tests – sometimes mask the fact that, in his other four series against Australia, he has never averaged more than 27.70. This summer may even define his reputation. Not many batsmen can endure five modest Ashes series and claim to be greats of the game.But while Cook remains a fine leader with the bat, he showed in the first half-hour of the day that he remains less impressive in the field. England conceded 53 runs in the first seven overs of the morning against New Zealand’s tailenders as they abandoned many of the basic principles of bowling with tactics that were too clever by half. In a situation crying out for slower-balls and yorkers, England’s bowlers instead persisted with a barrage of short balls and a ring of fielders on the leg side boundary. Those 53 extra runs could yet prove crucial.The portrayal as Cook-the-clueless-captain v Brendon McCullum-the-magnificent-captain is also simplistic. They are just different, with their own strengths and weaknesses. And while McCullum could no doubt teach Cook a thing or two about tactics, Cook could teach him plenty about the temperament required to prosper in Test cricket. Sometimes – as in the first innings here when he drove to mid-off – McCullum’s desperation to stamp his positive impression upon the game becomes a flaw.That is not to demean McCullum. His record as leader is excellent – New Zealand have not lost a Test series since they were last in England in 2013 and recently enjoyed a fine World Cup campaign – and the cricketing world would be a lesser place without his undiluted aggression. He has made the case for New Zealand’s approach often and well and nobody is suggesting abandoning it. Individually, he also has a Test triple hundred, a monumental match-saving innings against India, to his name.But it could, at times, be tempered with realism. It could, at times, be a little more sophisticated. And just as Jean van de Velde should have been happy with a conservative second shot on the 18th at Carnoustie in 1999, so McCullum might reflect that there is nothing wrong, in a five-day game, in letting the odd ball go outside the off stump. Both literally and figuratively.This Test – this series – has made for fascinating viewing and could yet go either way. But it is not just Cook who is learning about leadership and not just McCullum who has the leadership qualities to admire.
