Ashes Update: Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook lead England’s revival on day four of Gabba Test
England proved why they were no more pushovers in an Ashes series Down Under as Captain Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook slammed brilliant hundreds to lead one of the most spectacular comebacks in recent Ashes history on day four
of the Gabba Test.
The two openers, who weathered a testing opening spell from the Aussie bowlers on the third afternoon, resumed their second innings at 19/0.
Cook and Strauss were both vital cogs in England’s recent Test revival and continued to show that they were one of the best opening pairs in the longest format of the game with an assured partnership that took the tourists out
of the woods.
Cook, who was in fine nick even in the first innings, was elated with his performance especially after enduring a tough home series against Bangladesh and Pakistan where run-making was at a premium in overcast conditions.
"It was very satisfying," said Cook at the close. "I said at the start of the tour I had a point to prove, because in my last two series against Australia I hadn't done that well. But over the last 12 months I've had a bit of a
tinker with my technique and tried to improve it. The results today, I'm very happy with.”
"Conditions at home were the toughest I've ever experienced as an opening batter," he said. "It swung and was very tough for the top order. It reminds you, when you do get conditions that don't swing as much, to cash in.
In the first innings I worked really hard and got out for 60 - which was very frustrating. It took me other two-and-a-half hours to get my hundred, after Straussy. But when I got it, that noise made the hair
at the back of my neck stand up."
The duo of Strauss and Cook added 188 runs for the opening wicket partnership; the left-handed pair attacked whenever an opportunity arose yet were generally content at staying at the wicket and grinding
the opposition out, who tried their best to dislodge the pair.
The Australian bowling attack was under the scanner at the start of the series and another listless performance - especially by the likes of spearhead Mitchell Johnson - frustrated the team. All-rounder Shane
Watson spoke about his disappointment at the failure of the bowling unit in dislodging the under-pressure English top order.
"It came down to sustaining pressure and unfortunately we weren't able to do that. We did it for little periods but weren't able to execute for long enough. The English guys batted well, particularly Strauss
and Cook, but all of us as a bowling group weren't able to consistently execute to build the pressure that was needed, that's something we are continuing to work on as a group," Watson said.
After the demise of Andrew Strauss for 110 runs, the English batting line-up had to count on Cook and one-drop batsman Jonathan Trott; the South African born Trott did not disappoint them and scored a valiant half century to take
England to 309/1 at close.
They have a lead of 88 runs over the hosts and barring a stunning collapse on the final day they have all but saved the Test.
The POMS can also force the issue and put Australia under pressure by adding some quick runs in the morning and setting the hosts a target in the region of 250 runs in the last two sessions of the Test.