by sussexpob » Thu Sep 06, 2018 9:01 am
Arguing the merits of individual innings in a such a long career seems futile, because in such a span you will find evidence of everything. What is clear to me is that ACs statement is no doubt true, and that Cook is the beneficiary of playing largely in series when the fortunes of the England team were at a comparatively much higher plane than others around them. Its easy to forget that the decline of Australia and of India at the time of his career defining tours was pretty marked. In 2007 when McGrath and Warne were still around, it was different.
I mean, lets take that Australia series. Doug Bollinger had stood out for Australia the year before, but he played one test in Adelaide (Where cook made a big 100) and it was clear the injuries that lead to him missing the tour of India and the start of the series was terminal. He never played again despite a low 20s average before that test. Hilfenhaus shouldnt have been playing but was forced through due to other injuries, his back and knee injuries lead to retirement about a year after this series still in his 20s. He bowled half pace and clearly struggled as the innings went on. James Pattinson was lined up to play, but he was, and never is, fit. Rhino wasnt fit, I think he played in two games, the first being the Perth test where he ripped England apart for a 6-for in a game we got burnt in. Mitchell Johnson was in his famous lean patch. Marcus North bowled 38 overs in one test as a part timer. X.Doherty and Michael Beer was very poor spin options. Steve Smith was still a bowler back there, and we know what his spinners were like (long hop central).....
Australia didnt really have a fit or on song attack, they were all injured or off form. And yes, we took 20 wickets in the same conditions, but who did Australia have? Katich must have been in his late 30s and was retired after 2 tests. Shane Watson opened the batting (4 test hundreds in a 10 year regularly starter career, hardly a return). Phil Hughes who couldnt lock down a place. Michael Clarke was in the era of his back problems and for a few years was clearly not himself. Marcus North was a walking wicket. Khawaja didnt score a maiden hundred till 5 years after this series. Smith was a bowler at this time, and would take 3 odd years to register a century after. Mike Hussey famously went through a massive slump and was ready for the chop before he scored that massive first innings 100 at Brisbane (indications of the flat nature of the wicket). They werent a great team. Oh and Ponting. Who also after averaged 6 runs in a three match series v South Africa at home, 17 away in the return, 24 vs the Windies and 16 in that Ashes series..... lets just say the great man was at this point about as reliable as a stick hut in a hurricane.
Same can be said of India in 2011 and 2012/13. Tendulkar went something like 30 months at the end without a 100, with all due respect to the greatman by this stage he was just a name. Laxman was on his last legs. Gambhir had that famous purple patch between 08-10 (most 100s in consecutive tests, or nearly beat it, cant remember).... never scored a 100 in 6 years as a test player after that. Yuvraj and Raina were ODI specialists thrown in with very poor techniques (especially to the short ball) and were ripe for picking. Dhoni was hardly a world class bat. Sehwag's eyesight had completely gone, and he went through an extended period of decline after 2010 (3 years averaging mid 20s). Zaheer Khans career was over, averaged 49,45 and 42 per wicket between 2011-14. Sharma averaged 75 and 55 in the years he played England. I think Kolhi was another ODI specialist who had just come into the team and was struggling to adapt to tests. Seem to remember Ashwin playing in OZ in the lead up to this series, and being utterly trampled on to begin with. Went for 200 runs in one test and a 150 without a wicket in another. Harbi came back, Chawla was given a go.......
And those wickets were flat and slow and didnt turn much. Remember MS Dhoni having a big bust up with the Kolkata groundsman because he was sick of being given pitches that didnt suit his spinners, only to be told he was a batsman and to shut up and leave the pitches to the master ( the track was a pancake, many say it was on purpose as a response). Nagpur produced a lowish first innings, but that was arguably the slowest wicket I have ever seen, so slow batsman got out playing shots and mistiming. In fact, India lost wickets while trying to force a result for a series draw by batting quick, at which point Kohli and Dhoni realised you couldnt bat quick on it and then proceeded to spend about a day batting like snails. You know if Kohli and Dhoni take 600 balls to get to the point both are challenging for centuries, the pitch isnt for strokemaking. But for wickets it was terrible, you could block all day on it.
So yeah, there is definitely a sense that his career defining streak with these away tours come in conditions or scenarios that make them look far better. His best score v India in 2011 came at a time where India seem to have already given up. 500, 500, 600 and 700 went on the board in consecutive tests. Ian Bell I remember scoring a massive double around the same time.
When Australia were back to a functional and hungry side in 2013, what did he do? What did he do in the mauling of 2007? The close series of 2009? What did he do in India last time out, when India then had a settled bowling attack and India realised they needed to produce more spinners? Murdered the non entity of BD away in 2010, did nothing when they became competitive. The best team at his peak was probably SA.... averages 34 v them in 19 tests. Has a very poor record in series in NZ, where the ball has swung.
Its not a dramatic criticism. Those conditions, those series... someone had to go and win them. You still have to apply yourself, bat big, set up to make scores. And when the ball didnt move and a score was there to be found, he was brilliant at it. Others really arent that great at it.
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And a hat and bra to you too, my good sirs!