Cook puts England in command

MELBOURNE. — Alastair Cook struck a masterful, unbeaten double-century to drive England into a position of dominance on 491 for nine at the end of day three of the fourth Ashes Test cricket against Australia yesterday.

The former England captain strode off the Melbourne Cricket Ground on 244 not out, the highest ever score by a touring batsman at the venue, having pushed his side to a first innings lead of 164 runs.

Stuart Broad provided gallant support with a swashbuckling 56, sharing a 100-run ninth-wicket partnership that crushed the spirits of a demoralised attack and trampled on Australia’s hopes of whitewashing the series.

The urn may be gone with England an irretrievable 3-0 down in the fivematch series, but Joe Root’s team will savour the finest day of the campaign and are well-placed to grab a consolation win.

Cook smashed a straight drive past bowler Jackson Bird for his 23rd four to raise his fifth double-century in 360 balls, triggering a standing ovation from the crowd of 61 839.

It was not a chanceless innings, however, with Australia captain Steve Smith dropping him on 66 yesterday and again on 153.

The pitch was a batsman’s paradise and the Australian attack shorn of injured spearhead Mitchell Starc, but England’s most prolific run-scorer may remember few more gratifying innings in his 151 tests.

“Probably one of the more emotional (ones)... from where I’d been on this tour,” Cook, who was woefully out of form prior to Melbourne, told reporters of his 409-ball knock.

“It meant a lot last night and then today I was quite proud that I managed to back it up after all the emotion came out yesterday. To get a real big one for the team was really important.”

Cook, who resumed on 104 not out, capped a memorable day with a sumptuous cover drive for four off allrounder Mitchell Marsh, lifting him past Brian Lara to sixth on the all-time test runs list.

Broad was brave in support, wearing a short-pitched battering before paying Australia’s pacemen back in an counter-attacking innings of eight fours and a six.

He bookended his fifty with two fours off Pat Cummins before holing out with a miscued pull that was caught in the deep by a diving Usman Khawaja, with replays suggesting the fielder may have spilled the ball onto the turf as he rolled over. — Reuters