Early in the second session, England saw both debutant James Vince and all-rounder Ben Stokes fall cheaply as they slumped to 83 for five.
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Alex Hales and Jonny Bairstow built England’s recovery on day one of the first Investec Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley after seamer Dasun Shanaka’s dream debut.
Bairstow’s 140, which transcended the conditions and continued his outstanding form with the bat, was a first for the Yorkshireman in England, coming on his home ground and following on from his breakthrough worldwide hundred, an unbeaten 150 against South Africa at Cape Town in January.
“I’m a bit more nervous today than I have ever been”, Cook confessed, after Sri Lanka captain Angelo Mathews had won the toss and chose to field first.
He picked up two wickets inside four overs to reduce Sri Lanka to 12/3.
Nick Compton – whose anxieties can not have been aided by his team-mates’ struggles to impose themselves – poked with caution at a ideal off-stump line and length, to squeeze a low edge through to Lahiru Thirimanne at first slip.
Joe Root, England’s recently crowned player of the year in all formats, also fell for a duck as he edged Shanaka to gully.
Opener Alex Hales vowed to continue improving after his timely spike in form helped England recover from a shaky start to their summer on day one of the first Test against Sri Lanka at Headingley.
The 24-year-old’s return again proved the value of accurate medium pace in conditions offering some assistance, if not extravagant movement, for swing and seam bowling. If England wins all the three Tests, then it will rise to 109 points (two behind Pakistan) while a 2-0 win will put it on 108 points (three behind Pakistan). The Nottinghamshire man calmly advanced to 38 not out at lunch with debutant James Vince facing 15 balls without scoring at the break.
“It would mean a lot and hopefully I can get there sooner rather than later so we can talk about something else”, said Cook, speaking at Headingley, Yorkshire’s headquarters in Leeds, northern England, on Wednesday.
Hales completed an admirable 112-ball fifty in the circumstances when he drove Dushmantha Chameera behind point for his 10th four.
“It was a real tough moment for me as a captain, there’s no doubt about that, but I’m glad I hung in there for what’s happened since”, Cook told reporters yesterday.
Pre-series conjecture was that, after his patchy maiden Test campaign in South Africa last winter, Hales was the one who had to prove he could adapt to the demands of Test cricket.
The wicketkeeper, who survived two confident lbw appeals following reviews, launched spinner Rangana Herath over long-on for six before posting a half-century for the seventh time in tests.
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Bairstow then held five catches as Anderson and Broad swept aside Sri Lanka.
