Alastair Cook: England’s rock at the top of the order

Overcoming pressure

England bounced back with a 3-1 triumph after a hat-trick of wins post the loss at Lord’s

Months later, his captaincy was threatened as England suffered another reverse – 1-0 to Sri Lanka at home – and his form dwindled. They next trailed India 0-1 after two Tests while Cook was yet to reach 50 in his last seven attempts at home.

But critics fell quiet when a level-headed Cook hit form with a 95 and 70* in the subsequent Ageas Bowl Test. England repeated a recovery against India and bounced back with a 3-1 triumph after a hat-trick of wins post the loss at Lord’s.

But disappointment traced him again when he was stripped of ODI captaincy just months before the 2015 World Cup. After nearly four years in charge, Cook was dropped from the ODI side.

And post England’s horror World Cup, in May 2015, he again broke the hundred barrier at Barbados after 23 barren months – hundred number 26. One more came at Lord’s against New Zealand before Headingley witnessed him edge past his mentor Gooch on tallying 8,900 runs.

Next came another Ashes success at home, with a 3-2 margin. A young team got a captain to take inspiration from in every situation that England encountered in Test cricket.

The conqueror of all

England’s following Test examination saw the presence of a rigid rock. Cook conquered the one country where he had toured and not eclipsed three figures. In October 2015, he endured the humid Abu Dhabi summer with a marathon 263 in the first Test against Pakistan and lasted for fourteen hours, the third longest in Test history.

England lost 2-0 but returned to winning ways with a 2-1 victory in South Africa in January 2016, though Cook’s own form was unimpressive.

So he left South Africa with 36 short of reaching the 10,000-run milestone, a feat unachieved by an English batsman. His fans – and Cook himself – would have to wait at least another four months before he had that opportunity again when Sri Lanka would arrive to play England.

In the first of those attempts, Cook failed to get there; in the second, he departed five shy of the landmark; and in the third, he did not disappoint them anymore.

That golden figure

A flick reached the leg-side fence and a solid England opener reached five figures

A flick reached the leg-side fence and a solid England opener reached five figures – exactly 10,000. There was that proud relief on his glad face that told stories of his struggle. There were merely a few thousand at Chester-le-Street that afternoon, but millions more applauded Cook’s incredible feat.

And in the process, he skipped past Michael Atherton, who possessed the record of most runs as England captain.

One match later, Cook stood firm with an 85 and showed his selfless side by first switching on the one-day mode – that included a rash “Cook-scoop” as Nasser Hussain put it – and then declaring England’s second innings unbeaten on 49, batting at seven for a hurt knee. Rain won and England took the series 2-0.

Eleven years ago, the former Hampshire bat Nicholas witnessed a zealous man at Lord’s battling for an England spot. And a few weeks from now, he would watch him lead his team out against Pakistan at the same ground for the first of a four-Test series.

And expectedly for Gooch, a master at his trade, that mountain, much to his pleasant sight, today stands more than 10,000 runs tall. From a replacement to a rock, Cook is at the top of his game a decade after first representing England.