It takes a lot of character to recover from a pasting of the kind England received in the three-match Test series against Pakistan. And England showed plenty of it en route to winning the first three matches of the one-day series against the same opposition that looked impregnable in the longer format, in the process also clinching the four-match series handsomely. If there was one man who was chiefly responsible for this near unimaginable turnaround, it was English ODI skipper Alastair Cook.
The cool-headed England leader took the cliché leading from the front to an altogether new level, smashing two centuries and an 80 to set up the hat-trick of wins for his side. More than the number of runs, it was the assured manner in which he went about his duty that was striking. Not for once during his stint at the crease did it seem that Cook was carrying the baggage of the hurtful losses they were subjected to in the five-day game. It helped that Cook wasn’t the captain of the team that was annihilated, one of the few positive aspects of having different leaders for different formats of the sport. Thanks to Cook’s exceptional batsmanship, the horrors of the Test series have been forgotten in no time. Of course, it doesn’t mean England are back to their best. They will now have to start from scratch in the Test arena and prove their number one status is no fluke. For now though, Cook can deservedly walk away with all the plaudits.
While their skipper led from the front, there were a few other noteworthy performances as well which enabled England to completely shut out Pakistan from the one-day series. Steven Finn, for one, reiterated that he is a genuine match-winning bowler, and that all the hype build around him was not for nothing. Maintaining an impeccable line and length throughout, he suffocated the Pakistan batsmen, most of whom struggled to overcome the challenge. Just like Cook, Finn’s effort too was instrumental in guiding England on the path to victory. Finn was ably supported by James Anderson, who used his experience to stifle the struggling Pakistan batsmen. And even Stuart Broad, who looked out of sorts in the Test matches, found himself more at home in the shorter format. While the all-rounder hasn’t had much to do with the bat thanks to Cook and co, he has definitely made an impression with the ball in hand, striking crucial blows and contributing in the field as well. Surprisingly, Graeme Swann hasn’t made much of an impact despite the helpful conditions even as Samit Patel has been doing a decent job.
Leaving aside the series win for a moment, the biggest plus of all from an England point of view has been the roaring return to form of their key batsman Kevin Pietersen. It had been more than three years since Pietersen notched up an ODI hundred. Even if that is not taken into consideration while assessing his form, he has been poor otherwise as well. In such a scenario, his ton in the third ODI, with England chasing a well below-par total, was precious. Not only did Pietersen lead his side to an unassailable position, but in the process also proved that he still has the ability to dominate attacks. Among the other feel good factors for England were witnessing Ravi Bopara and Eoin Morgan get among the runs. Though their efforts were completely overshadowed by Cook, in the interest of the team those were healthy signs.
With one game still to go in the series, England have a great chance to decimate the opposition and regain some more lost honour. Cook’s men shouldn’t get complacent and ought to try and deliver the knockout punch. Hunger for win is what separates the good from the best. And anyways, you never know when the tide turns for the worse, just like it has for Misbah-ul-Haq’s capable but under-performing Pakistan.
By: The Pinch Hitter
Ever since The Pinch Hitter was introduced to cricket at the age of nine, he fell in love with the gentleman’s game. While his desire to take up the sport professionally remained unfulfilled, he substituted the bat with the pen. And since 2003, he has been commenting on the sport for various magazines, websites, enjoying every moment of it. With ‘Over the top’ he hopes to continue enlightening and enlivening ‘cricket companions’ the write way.
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