Hayter: Compton just looks in a world of pain
ALASTAIR COOK became the highest scoring opening batsman in Test history at Lord’s yesterday, but another unconvincing batting display showed why England will probably need their captain to keep on churning out the runs for some time to come.
Thanks to Jonny Bairstow’s brilliant century, the third of his career and all scored in six Tests since the turn of the year, England recovered from a precarious 164-5 to reach 279-6 at the close.
Yet, without Cook holding the innings together while Alex Hales, Nick Compton, Joe Root and James Vince mustered just 32 between them, the first day of the final Test might have belonged entirely to Sri Lanka – not the best look for a team striving to become the winning machine they will need to be if they are serious not only about regaining but also retaining the top ranking in Test cricket.
And while Bairstow, in the form of his career, made sure England ended the day still on course to record a 3-0 series victory, their reliance on their skipper’s batting is in danger of becoming a real impediment to sustainable progress.
After having dealt with the growing stress of making the last few runs he needed to become England’s first Test batsman to score 10,000 runs, then helping them cruise to a series-clinching win in the second Test at the Riverside, Cook might have felt the time had come to relax, enjoy the Lord’s sunshine and a road of a pitch and cash in.
But disciplined Sri Lankan bowling and lacklustre England top order batting meant Cook was soon back in battling mode.
The three-shot wonder used them all as he passed fifty for the 76th time in his Test career, a backfoot shove off Rangana Herath for two taking him past Gavaskar to become the No.1 specialist No.1 of all time and into 11th place on the list of Test run-scorers.
Indeed another century, his 29th, seemed for the taking when he was trapped in front by the late swing of Nuwan Pradeep for 85.
But with doubts persisting over his opening partnership with Hales, Compton’s place in the side and whether Vince can thrive at the highest level, it seems Cook will need to keep breaking records not just for his personal satisfaction but for the simple fact this batting side looks simply too fragile, too often, to cope without his runs.
And the nagging question is if this is what they produce against the game but hardly terrifying Sri Lankan attack, what will happen when they are put to rather stiffer tests?
Bairstow continues to be the exception that proves the rule.The pugnacious Yorkshireman reacted to a mini-crisis at 84-4 by batting as though it simply did not exist, adding impetus to the innings in an 80-run post-lunch stand for the fifth wicket with Cook. Dropped on 11 by Shaminda Eranga off Nuwan Pradeep, he also survived an extraordinary DRS decision when ball-tracking supported the umpire’s call to a ball that appeared to smash straight into the leg stump full-on.
Thereafter, with his now customary mix of aggression and energy, not for the first time in the series he appeared to be playing a different game to most of his colleagues.
Once Moeen Ali departed at 227-6, with his side still in danger of a first innings score well below par, Bairstow showed his maturity by reining in his attacking instincts.
Yet, even in semi-defensive mindset he finds ways of scoring and, in the penultimate over of the day, he earned his reward, reaching his first first-class century at Headquarters from 160 balls with 13 fours with a clip through midwicket off Herath.
The crowd rose to confirm Bairstow’s arrival as a proper frontline Test batsman and as England examine their options, one of them must be to regard him as such by promoting him to No.5.
So much for Cook’s dependability and Bairstow’s enterprise.
As for the issue of the cracks that appear to widening in the order around them with every innings, another unconvincing display by the top order did at least increase the likelihood that Compton and Vince will get another chance to prove they can cut it at the highest level – though, in Compton’s case it was hard to glean from the look on his face as he trudged back to the pavilion with a solitary single from his 11 ball stay, whether he regards that as a blessing or a curse.
Compton has spent so much of his Test career in the last chance saloon that a seat at the bar has his
name on it. Many had already urged for time to be called on the 32-year-old grandson of Denis.
Even those who have backed his retention knew, as he surely must, that all the expressions of support from captain, coach and fellow players mean nothing without runs. When he walked to the wicket, after Cook and Hales had completed the first opening stand of 50-plus of this series, with the sun shining, the pitch flat and a Sri Lankan attack on the gummy side of toothless, all were agreed that he could not have ordered better conditions in which to flourish.
But after he tamely dabbed a full length delivery from Suranga Lakmal to wicketkeeper Dinesh Chandimal, former skipper Michael Vaughan summed up what everyone in the full house was thinking.
“It was fair to give him the full series but sometimes it is about being ruthless,” he said. “If you see a guy who has not got what is required at this level and there are others with something to offer you’ve got to be ruthless.”
Hales has done enough to warrant an extended run, Vince will probably keep his place.
As for Compton, if he does get a second chance, he simply must take it or, sadly, his England days will be over.