Top 5 gritty knocks of Alastair Cook

Image result for Alastair cook

England’s highest run-getter, most successful Test batsman and most capped Test player, Alastair Cook, will play his last Test match this week against India at The Oval. His decision has come on the back of some poor form and his inability to convert the small starts he’s been getting.

Nonetheless, Cook has been a wonderful player and played for more than 12 years (having made his debut in 2006). You generally associate Alastair Cook with words like grit, determination, concentration, mental strength, and many such terms. His batting was exactly that. He loved batting for long hours, blunting out attacks, and scoring runs in a classical manner.

Thus, as he is about to hang up his boots and end his international career, let’s recall some of the gritty innings he played in his glittering Test career.


#5 116 vs Australia – Perth (2006)

Image result for Alastair cook 116 vs Australia – Perth (2006)

Inside a year of international cricket, Alastair Cook soon found out the harsh reality of Test cricket. In the 2006-07 Ashes series down under, he had five consecutive failures (just one score of over 30 in those five innings).

But he showed that he can be gritty and battle it out. Chasing a mammoth 556 in the fourth innings, England had to bat more than two days, and they lost Andrew Strauss in the very first over. But his opening partner Cook grinded it out as he made a fighting 116. He batted for over six and a half hours before he was eventually dismissed. However, England couldn’t save the game and lost the series 5-0.

But despite the loss, England found a gritty player in Cook who was willing to fight, and battle hard.

#4 176 vs India – Ahmedabad (2012)

Image result for Alastair cook 176 vs India – Ahmedabad (2012)

This knock kick-started that fabulous tour to India in late 2012. India scored 521 batting first and then bowled England out for 191. Alastair Cook was one of the only two batsmen who went past the 30-run mark in that first innings.

India enforced the follow-on and England still trailed by 330. Cook then played a fantastic innings, where he batted for 556 minutes, grinding it out and giving the Indian bowlers a hard time. He scored 176 as he helped England to avoid an innings defeat.

But this was just the beginning of that tour. He scored a couple more centuries in the next two games and helped England win the series in India 2-1.

#3 162 vs New Zealand – Lord’s (2015)

Image result for Alastair cook 162 vs New Zealand – Lord’s (2015)

This is one knock which helped England to come from behind and win the game. But not a lot of people remember this innings from Cook. Ben Stokes had an outstanding Test match, as he scored 92 and 101 and also picked up three wickets. He made headlines but Cook quietly got his 27th Test ton.

England made 389 in their first innings and then conceded a big lead as the Kiwis scored 523. Under pressure, the captain led from the front as he scored a superb 162. He batted for nine hours and faced 345 balls as he bailed England out of trouble.

His knock, and his partnership with Stokes, helped England set New Zealand a target of 345 which they couldn’t chase.

#2 94 and 49* vs Sri Lanka – Colombo (2012)

Image result for Alastair cook  vs Sri Lanka – Colombo (2012)

Not a lot of people remember this Test match nor Alastair Cook’s performances. Sri Lanka were leading the two-match Test series 1-0 when the teams reached Colombo for the second and final Test.

On the back of Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka scored 275 batting first. England’s reply was led by Kevin Pietersen who scored a scintillating 151. But the innings was set up by the openers, and Alastair Cook in particular. The Essex left-hander grinded it out and scored a gritty 94. He shared a 122-run opening stand with Andrew Strauss to set up a solid platform.

Cook spent close to six hours at the crease as he faced 278 deliveries for his 94 before he fell to Tillakaratne Dilshan and missed out on a well-deserved ton.

Chasing 94 in the fourth innings, Cook scored an unbeaten 49 to guide England home and help them level the series.

#1 263 vs Pakistan – Abu Dhabi (2015)

Image result for Alastair cook  263 vs Pakistan – Abu Dhabi (2015)

When England toured UAE to face Pakistan, Alastair Cook was into his 10th year in international cricket and had built an excellent reputation of being one of the best players of spin. His record in Asia was one of the best among touring batsmen.

In the first Test in that three-match series, Cook proved why he is rated so highly in Asia and against spinners, in particular. Pakistan won the toss and batted first and put up a mammoth 523 on the board. England were under pressure with a mountain to climb.

Alastair Cook showed England the way as he struck 263 in what was a marathon knock. He batted for an astounding 836 minutes (528 balls) as he drained and sucked the life out of the Pakistan bowlers. His knock propelled England to 599.

The visitors almost won the game after they bowled Pakistan out for 173 in the second innings, but bad light interrupted play late on Day five to force a draw. But Cook’s marathon 14-hour knock of 263 earned him the Man of the Match.

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Edited by Ben Winfield