Cook a vital cog in England’s wheel in Tests

Cook had not batted in the middle for 18 days, dividing his time between his farm and practice with Essex.

But there was little sign of cobwebs or rust against a decent attack including Test off-spinner Jayant Yadav. On a lifeless pitch that felt more like the subcontinent than mid-summer England, the Lions scored at will with Cook making 180, doing what he does best.

More significantly for the make-up of England’s top order at Edgbaston on August 1, Dawid Malan responded to the threat of losing his place with a composed unbeaten 59. Watched by selectors Ed Smith and James Taylor, it was a good retort after a difficult few weeks.

Malan was said to have been unimpressed by his recent omission from England’s Twenty20 squad, despite making four fifties in his five appearances in the format.

And his release from England’s 50-over party looked like an unfortunate piece of timing when Jason Roy was declared an injury doubt for Tuesday’s third and deciding ODI against India at Headingley.

Had Malan stayed with the squad, he might have expected to make his one-day debut, but the selectors wanted him to score some red-ball runs. It is understood he has been left in no doubt that he needs to improve on a Test record that includes a successful Ashes but little else.

This, then, was a start – especially after Nick Gubbins of Middlesex, another top-order Test candidate, had scored a watchable 72 during a second-wicket stand of 155 with Cook. But, like Surrey’s Rory Burns earlier in the day, Gubbins fell to a loose drive, leaving the path clear for Malan to make his case ahead of selection on July 26.

The presence of Cook presumably made life easier. He has been in decent fettle all summer, passing 50 in eight matches for Essex and England. But this was his first hundred since his mammoth unbeaten 244 at Melbourne at the end of 2017, and an early warning for India’s Test bowlers.

‘I needed the opportunity to play a bit of red-ball cricket,’ said Cook after completing his 62nd first-class hundred. ‘I couldn’t have asked for any more – to score some runs against some decent spinners and get back into the rhythm of batting.’