Cricket at Edgbaston: Top 5 individual Test batting performances from the venue

#1. Alastair Cook 294 for England vs India, 10th August 2011, and

#2. Alastair Cook 243 for England vs West Indies 17th August 2017.

Oozing with class

It happened during the 3rd Test of the tour. India, batting first, made a measly 224, unable to cope with the wild pace of Stuart Broad and a surprise attack from Tim Bresnan, who took four wickets each. In reply, Cook gave his Indian counterparts a fantastic batting lesson as he dropped anchor at the crease, faced 545 balls in 773 minutes(12 hours and 53 minutes!), smashed 33 fours and notched up a memorable 294. He eventually fell to Ishant Sharma, as Raina completed the catch, dismissing the then-captain at point, agonizingly short of a well-deserved triple-ton.

If there is someone who has never failed to trouble Indian bowlers in modern red-ball cricket, it has to be Alastair Cook. He has amassed 2104 runs in 24 Matches at an average of just above 50 against the Indians, making him the English top-scorer in the format against the same opposition. And as India will face him again in a matter of few days, these numbers are bound to become bigger.

Incidentally, Cook has also recorded the highest ever individual Test innings score of Edgbaston, against - wait for it - India again. The supremely skilled southpaw was at his best as India toured England in 2011, thrashing the bowlers to all corners as they stood helplessly.

Riding on what Cook "cooked", England made 710/7 decl., and licked the Indian lineup clean by an innings and 242 runs, dismantling them for a score of 244 in the second innings. Cook was rightly adjudged man-of-the-match.

Cook most recently featured in an Edgbaston Test match almost a year ago, and this time he scored 243 off 407 balls against the touring Windies opposition, including 33 fours, playing a dominant role in England's eventual innings victory. All that the Windies to manage in return to England's 514/8 decl. were 168 and 137.

The following conditions come together a few days later (again): Alastair Cook, The month of August and a Test match at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground. It has only spelled trouble for opponents (especially India) in the past. Let us wait and see what happens this time.