India celebrate the wicket of England captain Alastair Cook who has failed to perform in the recent past. (Source: AP)
A curious bunch of early birds watched intently as the India-England Test odds were being written on the white board at the betting kiosk in the Lord’s premises.
It was all silent till the elderly shopkeeper slowly scrolls C-O-O-K. That is when a couple in three-fourth pants and loosely-fitted shirts let out a chuckle. The elderly odds-writer wasn’t amused. He writes 6/1 against Cook under the ‘England’s top scorer’ sub head and looked back.
“Don’t laugh, you know what his Test average is?” The boys don’t look intimidated by the officious tone. “I know, it’s 8 or 9 in this series,” they say. Looking for early business, the elderly man offers a betting tip. “It can go only one way from there,” he says. The derisive boys don’t buy the theory. “Yes, that’s out of the team,” says one and everyone around laughs. The out-of-form England skipper was once again the butt of jokes.
About an hour later, that early morning bet-shop conversation was being repeated around the venue and elsewhere on this Island. The man who last scored a 100 more than a year back was out for 10. During lunch time, the commentators were almost apologetic when they announced the topic of their discussion. “And yes, it will be once again Alastair Cook that we will be discussing,” David Gower said with a mischievous grin from the Sky studio.
On the lines of the television talk, those in the yellow-orange MCC tie and off-white coats too were discussing Cook’s lack of footwork, his crisis of confidence and how he should step down to find his form. The search has been long and England seem to be losing patience.
The murmurs about Cook’s slipping crown started towards the end of last season. Losing the Ashes 5-0 and finishing with an average of 24, the skipper would have expected the reaction. There was respite for him since he didn’t have to wear his Test whites for the next 6 months. That was the time Cook took his mind off cricket. He attended weddings and even tried his hand at playing the trumpet.
The break, though, didn’t see him return to form. The uncertainty about his batting returned as he took guard for England. A circumspect footwork saw him getting out played-on twice. On other occasions, he has been caught behind the stumps while driving or, like today, merely nibbling at the ball. The feet aren’t moving and the eyes aren’t on the top of the ball. This season, in six innings, he has been out to five bowlers, a clear indicator that he doesn’t have a bowler-specific problem. Cook’s problem is his own batting, his mind and his demons.
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At the start of his innings on Friday, Cook was watchful. He was reading Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s prodigious swing very early. He would read the movement from the hand and do likewise. The fact that the frail-framed Indian pacer started with slowish pace allowed Cook to leave the balls that went away and offered a straight bat to the ones that came to the stumps. But suddenly out of the blue, Bhuvneshwar came up with a ball that was pacier. Like so often of late, Cook wasn’t sharp enough. The edge reached Dhoni and England started ‘Cooking’ again.
Sandeep Dwivedi is the Sports Editor at The Indian Express. He is one of India's most prominent sports journalists, known for his deep analytical insights and storytelling that often goes beyond scores and statistics to explore the human and cultural side of sports.
Professional Profile
Role: As the Sports Editor, he leads the sports coverage for the newspaper and the website.
Weekly Column: He writes "The Sports Column," a weekly feature where he provides sharp, narrative-driven perspectives on the biggest sporting news of the week.
Podcast: He is a frequent contributor to the "Express Sports" podcast (Game Time), where he discusses evolving trends in cricket and other international sports.
Areas of Expertise
While Dwivedi covers the entire sporting spectrum, his work is particularly noted in the following areas:
Cricket: He provides extensive coverage of the Indian National Team and the IPL. He frequently analyzes the leadership styles of figures like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Gautam Gambhir. He is known for tracking the transition phases of Indian cricket and the evolution of specific players like Kuldeep Yadav and Rishabh Pant.
Athletics & Olympic Sports: He has written extensively on Neeraj Chopra’s rise in javelin, the nuances of Indian shooting, and tennis legends like Sania Mirza and Leander Paes.
Human Interest Stories: A hallmark of his writing is his focus on the struggles and backgrounds of athletes, such as the sacrifices made by Shafali Verma’s father or the "silent battles" of veteran players like Cheteshwar Pujara.
Notable Recent Work & Themes
Leadership and Dynamics: Recently, he has written about the dynamic between Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, arguing that personal friendship is not a prerequisite for team success.
Sports & Culture: His articles often intersect with global culture, such as his deep dive into the 100-year legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters and their role as American soft power during the Cold War.
The "Grey Areas" of Sport: He often addresses sensitive topics like the mental health of cricketers post-retirement, the "outrage industry" in sports broadcasting, and the impact of fan-wars on the game.
Tenure and Experience
Dwivedi has been with The Indian Express for over three decades. This experience allows him to provide historical context to modern sporting events, often comparing current crises or triumphs to those of previous generations.
You can follow his latest work and columns on his official Indian Express Author Profile. ... Read More
4 min read
India celebrate the wicket of England captain Alastair Cook who has failed to perform in the recent past. (Source: AP)
