Chase: I gave up trying to get him out
Bowling to Alastair Cook became such an impossible task for the West Indies that even their most successful bowler, Roston Chase, admitted he stopped trying to get him out.
Cook batted for 562 minutes and only offered one half chance, a top edged pull, before his dismissal for 243 from 407 balls.
It was a bruising experience for the West Indies attack who in the end tried to stem the flow of runs rather than apply pressure to take his wicket.
“My length was too short to Cooky and that was the main error from me and at one point I just tried to contain him and not even try to get his wicket,” said Chase, who took four for 113. “I grew in confidence as the day went on in my bowling, and I guess that worked for me.”
Dawid Malan described Cook’s performance as a “masterclass” for an inexperienced player like him trying to make his way in Test cricket. Cook never dropped concentration and there was an inevitability about his fourth Test double century from the start of the day.
“Throughout he did not stray once from his game plan from the first over of game to getting out,” said Malan. “To watch how a master goes about his work and compile his runs showed me what you what you need to be successful at this level. He gave me a batting masterclass.
“It was the best seat in the house to watch it from and to score 240 is a fantastic achievement whether it is a good wicket to bat on or not.
“He is quite chatty in the middle. I have a few habits I get into and he was happy to go along. I like to tap gloves and my bat with his bat as I go along and he was helping me by holding his bat out.”
Malan admitted he needed runs himself after “not looking like scoring a run against South Africa” and tried to feed off Cook as he made his first Test half century.
“It was nice to hit a few more in the middle. In the back of my mind I knew it would turn around for me and fortunately it happened.”