It was back to business for Alastair Cook on the third day. He batted for another six and a half hours, posting the highest score against Australia at the MCG, a magnificent, unbeaten 244. If the first hundred of this innings was for himself, to recover his self-esteem albeit too late in the tour for his liking, the second was for the team, to ensure Joe Root held the best cards with two days to go.
On Wednesday Cook had sped to his hundred with uncharacteristic freedom, reaching that landmark in 164 balls and although he never bats with any hint of desperation the circumstances at the start of his innings were different. Cook, the Test cricketer, has never been dropped by England and in Melbourne his place was in some jeopardy. Yet it seems he managed to let this peculiar situation liberate him in his approach.
Sachin Tendulkar (India)
15,921 runs
Ricky Ponting (Australia)
13,378 runs
Jacques Kallis (South Africa)
13,289
Rahul Dravid (India)
13,288
Kumar Sangakkara (Sri Lanka)
12,400
Alastair Cook (England)
11,956
Brian Lara (West Indies)
11,953
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (West Indies)
11,867
Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka)
11,814
Allan Border (Australia)
11,174
Before resuming his innings on 104 on the third morning he said: “When you’re averaging 13 there is no point in dying wondering. What is the worst that can happen? You can get a low score and get left out, I suppose. But it’s amazing what can then happen; you can get more crisp footwork, more intent and suddenly you get away.”
Not only was Cook’s footwork crisp but also his strokeplay, and he undoubtedly got away. He was unusually free and eager at the crease. Fifteen fours flowed from his bat on the way to that century.
But on the third day it was more of a grind as he sought to give England a meaningful first-innings lead – at least until the final session when Cook embarked on a skittish ninth-wicket union with his fellow-old-timer Stuart Broad. That partnership was worth 100 runs and exasperated a weary Australia side and entertained an increasingly hoarse Barmy Army in equal measure. This pair had batted together only once before in Test cricket. They should try it again sometime.
Cook’s second 100 contained only eight boundaries and took him 196 balls, though he speeded up when beyond 200. For two sessions he had returned to being the ultra-pragmatist and for that his dressing room must have been grateful. Without him England would never have gained a first-innings lead of 164.
The distant rope may well have been protected and difficult to find but Cook seldom missed a ball or a chance to score. The oddity was that no other England batsman, with the possible exception of Root, seemed anywhere near as comfortable on a pitch that has been roundly condemned for a lack of pace, which has neutered the Australian pacemen.
The acting curator, Michael Salvatore, can, however, point to the scorecard. The really good players – David Warner, Steve Smith, Root and Cook – have scored runs without many problems; the rest have struggled. Usually that means the curator – or the greenkeeper – has done a good job. The evidence of our eyes suggests otherwise, though we may yet have a gripping Test on our hands.
Cook shepherded the England innings in a manner that would be appreciated by the farmers of Bedfordshire, earnestly seeking out every run for the cause. Root kept him company for 50 mostly untroubled minutes whereupon a bouncer from Pat Cummins surprised him for pace and the ball sailed gently to Nathan Lyon at deep square leg from his hook shot.
Dawid Malan fell lbw to the second new ball in peculiar fashion without ever displaying the authority of Perth. As with James Vince the previous day it seemed from the replays the ball had taken his inside edge – and there was also the suggestion his pad was struck just outside the line of the off stump. But no review was forthcoming from Malan.
Jonny Bairstow flickered either side of lunch before he was deceived by a quicker ball from Lyon and caught behind. Next there was a cameo from Moeen Ali that was almost frightening in its frenzy. There were leg-byes off his visor and a frantic pull shot. Then he swung at his first ball from Lyon and the ball just cleared the rope and the outstretched hands of Cummins at long-off; a loose and juicy cover drive followed.
Then, in Lyon’s next over, Moeen smashed a long hop to short extra-cover to end a riveting, ridiculous – given that he regards himself as a batsman – innings of 20 in 14 balls.
Chris Woakes batted sensibly enough to add 59 with Cook whereupon another Cummins bouncer accounted for him while Tom Curran nicked his first runs in Test cricket before edging to the keeper. Now came England’s bonus as Cook and Broad combined – in contrasting styles – to great effect. Broad evaded, or swished at, or thumped the inevitable bouncers while Cook was frivolous enough to loft Lyon for a straight-driven boundary.
Soon Broad’s confidence soared on his way to a second half-century – from 61 balls – since 2012 with an array of strokes, some of which are in the manual. Eventually he was the victim of a brilliant, tumbling catch at third man by Usman Khajawa. There was still scope from some beautifully improvised boundaries to third man and through the covers by Cook. Perhaps Root could have declared but he surely wanted to give his predecessor the opportunity to carry his bat. No opener in Test cricket had scored more while doing so. However Jimmy Anderson, who relished defending the off-spin of Lyon, remained firm until the close.
It was a chastening time for Australia. Jackson Bird’s limitations were exposed on an unforgiving surface. The gulf between him and Mitchell Starc is as wide as that between Cook and the rest of the batsmen on show on a day which suggested the old boy is still reasonably interested.
