Trevor Bayliss expects a reinvigorated Alastair Cook to continue scaling the all-time Test runscoring heights – with top-of-the-pile Sachin Tendulkar maybe in his sights one day. Now playing in his 128th Test, Cook has 28 Test centuries to his name – another England record.
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Anderson followed up his 10-wicket haul in the first Test at Headingley by taking eight wickets in Chester-le-Street and took the man-of-the-match award as England claimed a nine-wicket win against Sri Lanka.
Cook is the first English batsman and the 12th player in the world to amass 10,000 Test runs and he accomplished the record at the age of 31 years and 158 days, surpassing Tendulkar’s mark of 31 years and 326 days.
“It’s how long he wants to play for”. “If they’re thought of as good enough and, more than anything, can handle the step up mentally there’s no reason why we couldn’t [select them]”, he said. He has these powers of concentration.
Colchester-born Napier knows Cook very well, having played alongside him at Essex since the England captain rose through the club’s academy and made his First Class debut for the county, in 2003. To be able to do that over the period of time he has played and score as many runs as he has is a fantastic effort. He achieved the feat while playing against visitors Sri Lanka in Durham.
Alastair Cook will wake up on Tuesday morning with a clear head as well as fresh and proud memories of his 10,000th run in Test cricket.
“They (Sri Lanka) made us work hard for it, and sometimes it is a bit sweeter that way because you feel you have earned it”.
The left-handed opener was the youngest player and 12th overall to reach the landmark as he helped England secure a nine-wicket victory on the fourth day that gave the hosts an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the three-match series. “Who knows [how many runs I can score]”, he replied to the question.
Tillakaratne Dilshan has informed Sri Lanka Cricket that he will be unavailable for the limited-overs series in England and Ireland, owing to personal issues.
“Sometimes I think we try a little too hard to take wickets, we try to take a wicket too often and try too much when often bowling the old “Plan A”, top of off stump, is the most effective, even on flattish wickets”.
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“He should treasure it – and to be the youngest to 10,000 is incredible”.
