Cook 244 kindles England fire

Cook 244*- A Remarkable Innings Image-BBC

There is a reason that the best players in cricket can't be kept out of the game for too long. Especial when they have played 150 games, and scored 11000+ test runs, 'bouncing back' is in their DNA.

Alastair Cook's drought had coincided with the England going 0-3 down in the Ashes 2017-18. When your lowest point is coinciding with your team's, the talks of your place in the team are bound to be questioned. More so, when you are on the wrong side of your 30s and are struggling to hit half centuries for 5-6 straight games.

But, Cook isn't another cricketer who would settle with such retirement after a celebrated career for England- being their most prolific run-scorer.  On the third day of the fourth test ,with the fate of Ashes urn already decided, Cook showed grit in the face of Starc-less Australian attack, on his way to an endless 244*, as he kept losing partners on the other end. On the first ball of Day4, Anderson departed to Cummins, meaning Cook had carried the bat- first Englishman to do so since 1997 when Atherton did.

Such  impacful was his knock that on a single day of marathon innings, he put England into the driving seat of the MCG game.  Such long was his innings, that he leapfrogged Mahela Jayawardene, Shivanrine Chanderpaul, and Brian Lara in all time list of most test runs. If he plays for another year or so, then he might jump ahead of Sangakkara, Kallis and Dravid-and finish 3rd on the tally. Even if he doesn't, his name among the legends of the game is a small sign of what he has done for the English fans, who didn't have a legend of their own in the 10k club. Root might get there one day, but Cook is the only Englishman to climb that everest. In the last over of the day, he punched a Mitchell Marsh delivery through covers, to go past Lara- almost as if reminding us all of the Cook of old.

Broad gave him good company, by pressing on to the accelerator and racing to a fifty in no time, and helping England build some quick lead. Broad's dismissal came at the fag end and England opted not to declare at this stage. Next day, Anderson succumbed and Cook remained undefeated, like a lion who walked through the jungle fire unharmed. He had scars to tell the story and a tale of heroics to be passed.

Cook holds the record for the most runs by a batsman who carried bat-244*. No matter who wins the MCG game, Cook's double hundred has kindled fire of hope.
For England. For Cook.