• Fifth Test, day one: England 198-7
• Cook scores 71 but middle order collapses
For the last – or possibly penultimate – time England were indebted to Alastair Cook for keeping them afloat. He alone made crease occupation a relatively trouble-free occupation on another day when the quality of English batting came under severe scrutiny.
Once he had departed for 71 a placid, sluggish Oval surface suddenly resembled a snake pit as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow both departed without scoring. England slumped from 133 f or one to 134 for four and then to 198 for seven at the close.
Written by Vic Marks at the Kia Oval
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2018/sep/07/england-india-fifth-test-day-one-report under the title “Alastair Cook keeps England afloat before India claim late wickets”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
