England vs West Indies match report: Jonathan Trott fails again but Alastair Cook puts century drought behind him

Alastair Cook celebrates his first Test century in two years (AFP/Getty Images)

Nothing in sport stirs the soul so much as the man who comes back. The notion of treading the path to glory again – perhaps just one more time – has an unmatched resonance, demanding as it inevitably does the overcoming of adversity and a determination to show the world and perhaps yourself that you still have what it takes.

Two examples of this are Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott. Strictly speaking, Cook has never been away but he has spent more than a year overcoming the odds, answering his critics, unswerving in his belief, persevering in his attempt to add to his record of Test hundreds, resisting calls for his resignation or sacking.

Yesterday, redemption was his. Playing as lucidly as he has for 18 months and chained to the crease for six hours, he reached his 26th Test century in the hot evening sunshine. He had faced 2807 balls and batted for 64 hours minutes ince he last he in this territory. The relief must have been as palpable as the elation.

Then in the day’s last over he undid some of it all by underedging Marlon Samuels to the wicketkeeper. He was out for 105 with England 240 for 7.

Unfortunately, there is a sad downside to the magnetic power of the wonderful return. It can all go horribly wrong. In the case of Trott it could hardly have gone more wrong. It was not simply that he was out for nought, his third duck of the series, but also the hapless manner of his dismissal.

It set the agenda for the first day of the third Test and Cook was left in the knowledge that he simply could not get out. England found themselves an early wicket down for the fourth time in five innings of this series. Far from ideal, it seemed to undermine the rest of the order.

Jonathan Trott trudges off after going for a duck (Reuters)

Two more wickets went all too quickly before lunch, and early in the afternoon they lost a fourth and – in clumsy circumstances when renovation of the innings was progressing well – a fifth. Throughout, the expectation placed on Cook increased and he was refreshingly unimpeded.

The losses meant that he could be forgiven for adopting a method of determined patience, which perfectly suits him. His fifty came from 139 balls, the 66th time he had passed the landmark in Tests. By tea he had found a durable partner in Moeen Ali and England were 151 for 4.

But too soon after, Moeen was called for a quick single and failed to make his ground after making 58 in vigilant but attractive fashion that he has not always demonstrated.

Trott, however, loomed over the day. He had dealt adequately with his first two balls of the morning from Shannon Gabriel. They were quick but he shuffled determinedly across his crease to both and played them down the wicket.

The third was a bouncer, aimed at Trott’s ribcage. It was precisely the sort of ball that left him looking so desperately fragile in Brisbane those 18 months ago when he was forced to depart the Ashes tour.

Trott made it his mission to be recalled by England. In his mind, and obviously in the minds of others, there was unfinished business. He worked hard, he scored runs for Warwickshire and then England Lions, he found a psychologist who was said to have transformed him.

The bouncer came down. Trott reacted spontaneously. He could, should have left the thing. That should be his default reaction. Instead he ducked into it and attempted limply to play it. The shot was neither a pull nor a flick. The ball looped from his bat to square leg who took the catch diving forward.

Jason Holder celebrates removing Ian Bell for nought (AFP/Getty) (AFP/Getty Images)

It looked dreadful. It was dreadful. Poor Trott trudged off towards the Garfield Sobers Pavilion where the dressing rooms are housed. His mind must have been full of a thousand things, all of which came down to one question: how has it come to this? Trott’s scores in this series, his first since the Brisbane debacle, have been 0, 4, 59, 0, 0. The selectors will rue their decision to bring him back now.

There was not in truth a place in the side for him. He had batted for most of an illustrious England career at number three but that berth had been taken. There was, however, a gap as opener, a position in the order that Trott had never filled.

It is possible still that he could save his skin with a heroic performance in the second innings. That does not seem likely, however, and were it to happen there is the immediate future to consider. Australia – and New Zealand for that matter, the first tourists of the summer – have been watching closely.

By exposing Trott so brutally yesterday, Gabriel may have been doing everyone a favour. Trott should have had no regrets. He has given it all, but those who picked him for this tour would do well to reflect on their decision.

As Trott’s dismissal indicated there was a little more life in the pitch than for the previous two matches but Cook and Gary Ballance were untroubled.

Ballance was bowled by Jason Holder, the ball sneaking through bat and pad. That might have suggested batsman error but it was a probing ball. The one that did for Ian Bell in Holder’s next over was slower and Bell was through his shot much too early, offering a return catch.

At 38 for 3 England’s pre-match intention to take the match away from West Indies by grinding out the first hour needed pragmatic revision. Although Joe Root looked majestic again he was out cutting at Veerasammy Permaul’s left-arm spin and caught behind.

Moeen combined elegance and pragmatism. He and Cook had put on chancless 92 when Cook steered the ball backward point and set off. The throw from debutant Shai Hope was above the stumps and Moeen was short by a yard.

Ben Stokes was out, caught by Hope off Gabriel for 22, just before Cook scored his first Test century in two long years.