Pressure Cook-err

Cook:The undervalued stock finally soars high!

It was tough being Alastair cook this past one month! Criticism was pouring in from all quarters and critics cum experts had already written their obituaries. He was almost on the cusp of getting dropped. Come MCG, the dark clouds decided to relent. His nemesis, Starc was ruled out injured and the benign MCG drop-in wicket became his ally.All of a sudden his feet started to dance to his tunes and the bat started to take orders like a loyal servant.Cook of the old was back. Whipping the deliveries on middle and leg of his hips like his favorite pass time, driving the deliveries outside off with equal non-chalance and the river started to flow.

On reaching his half century, it was more relief rather than joy ending a barren run of 10 innings. Certainly a blot on a fabulous career. But the mortals forgot that you don’t write off champions like Cook! They possess nerves of steel, patience of a monk and the fight of a pugilist.Another whitewash would have been catastrophic for England.Cook’s gritty innings has ensured that it would require a miracle to experience that ignominy.

On reaching his century, celebration was sedate and emotional in complete contrast to Warner’s gung-ho leap. It was a mild slap by the gentle gentleman to his detractors with a message on his forehead, ‘Don’t discount me just yet, there’s still lot to offer’. He has already amassed close to 11,000 runs surpassing romantic legends like Lara, Jayawardene, a feat laudable in itself. The hero might have arrived a bit late for England after the damage had been done but there is enough evidence to suggest that the armor of the knight is still shining.

Who knows, if the flame persists in the tummy, he could carry on for another 3 years with Sachin’s Mt.Insurmointable within sights.

Again, we are speculating and I would rather be a pessimistic investor than an optimistic one on stock cook in the future as another such barrren run might just knock the wind out of him. But today, the undervalued stock has soared again and reached its potential. Let us enjoy till the time it survives the rigors and vicissitudes of Test cricket. Cook’s career is a case study in itself on how to bounce back when the chips are down by invoking your inner resolve and self-belief!

-D.Pratik