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 that Joe Root held the best cards after three days’ play.
On Wednesday Cook 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 here in Melbourne his place was in some jeopardy. Yet it seems that he managed to let this peculiar situation liberate him in his approach to batting.
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