Vijay the millionaire meets Vijay the coal-miner

In recent times, fortune has conspired against M Vijay and runs have been lacking. At Trent Bridge, though, after a small slice of luck at the start, he combined flair and patience to great effect

Highlights: Murali Vijay produces first Test ton outside India with 122 not out at Trent Bridge

It is Johannesburg. India have been thumped in the ODIs, this is the first morning of the series, and Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel are going after you. There is bounce, there is swing, there is seam. M Vijay has seen his opening partner get out to a soft shot. He leaves alone 26 of the 42 balls played, scoring just six runs, but is determined to wait for a loose delivery, no matter how long it takes. There hasn't been any for 69 minutes, but he is willing to wait more. And then he gets a monster of almost mythical proportions. Morkel bowls on a length, just outside off, he plays for the angle, it leaves him, bounces too much, takes the edge, and the papers next day have 6 against his name.

In the second innings of the same Test, when everyone is filling his boots, Vijay edges a harmless delivery down the leg side. In the second Test, at Kingsmead, he shows some more discipline and grit, scores 97 at a strike rate of 43, and gets a brute from Steyn. He takes his bottom hand off as he fends, but the ball bounces extra on what has been a slow pitch, and takes his glove on the way through.

Over to New Zealand then. India have been hammered in ODIs again, have conceded 500 in the first innings of the series, and are now 51 for 3. Vijay, though, has dug in again, scoring 26 in 79 minutes. And then Neil Wagner goes round the wicket, getting as close to the side crease as he can without actually bowling a no-ball, and then gets the ball to hold its line against the angle and hits the top of his off stump. The customary strangle down leg shows up in the second innings.

In the first innings of the second Test, Tim Southee bowls one short of a length, wide enough to be left alone, the seam pointing towards slip, and Vijay relaxes thinking he has got a soft leave. The ball jags back, kicks at him, takes his glove on the way to the keeper. He gets another pretty good outswinger from Southee in the second innings.

So in the eight overseas innings that followed his two 150s against Australia at home, Vijay scored 196 runs. His opening partner, who has looked hopeless at times, has had just that little bit of luck that he is so good at capitalising upon. People, meanwhile, are singling Vijay out and ridiculing him as an opener, looking at the runs not at the minutes spent at the wicket, the incredible discipline it has taken for a stylish batsman to buckle down obsessively and to stick to it even when the results are not forthcoming. Or the lack of luck. People have made more mistakes in one innings than Vijay has in two series, and yet scored centuries.

Therefore nobody can begrudge Vijay the faith shown in him by his team management despite those numbers in the last four Tests. Nobody can begrudge him the bit of luck he has had at Trent Bridge. Those who believe in luck and those who have seen Vijay over his last two Test series would have seen the first over of the day would have expected a hundred today. The luck was changing. He edged a ball he didn't even want to play at, and got four for it. He pushed forward rather tentatively, got a thick edge, and again got four. If he had still failed today, he would have really kicked himself.

Those two boundaries, on a Trent Bridge pitch that needed only oranges and saoji cuisine to move out from Nottingham to Nagpur, gave Vijay the start he needed. The next ball was a half-volley on the pads, and Vijay tucked into it. Soon Vijay was 25 off 24 with six boundaries in it. All that hard work done over the last year was paying off.

Vijay is a moody batsman. One day he can bat like a millionaire, on another a coal-miner. He hasn't always been able to combine the two. He was unlucky in some of the instances mentioned above, but also paid the price for not putting all the bad balls away. On other occasions he has also been guilty of throwing it away playing a shot too many after getting off to a quick start. In this knock he mixed the two approaches perfectly.

By lunch Vijay had scored 55 off 89 already. The pitch was doing nothing, and a sunny afternoon awaited. Runs would be there for the taking, but England came back with an inspired session of bowling. They were accurate, they were intense, they reversed the ball, and they took out Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli within three overs after the restart. Runs dried up. This was the time to go down into the pits. The millionaire from the pre-lunch session removed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves and went a-digging.

Nothing summed it up more than the 38th over of the day. The ball had been reversing, and mostly it reverses in. That could have been the only possible explanation for the wicket of Kohli. He pushed at a wide one because at the back of his head expected it to reverse in, and wanted to guard his stumps. Anderson bowled two full deliveries, just outside off, and normally you would be playing at them because they are expected to bend back in. Unless you spot clearly and early that the shiny side is on outside. Vijay had, and left them alone. Twice more he shouldered arms in that over, and when the shine was on the inside he strode forward and defended.

Vijay waited for the loose balls thereafter. There weren't many, but he was patient. He scored only 38 in the middle session and 30 in the last. From 92 to 99 he took 24 balls. Then spent another 13 on 99. Luck was shining on him again when he called MS Dhoni through for a non-existent single. Dhoni was willing to risk sacrificing his wicket. With Vijay's luck over the last year or so, the throw would have hit the stumps, and Dhoni would have been run out with Vijay on 99, and that would have messed with Vijay's head. Not today.

Vijay was not out of the pits yet, though. He allowed himself a few shots before playing 35 straight dot balls leading up to the stumps. He might have been setting himself up for day two: ten of his 13 first-class centuries before this have been 139 or more, including three double-centuries.

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England 'frustrated' with pitch

Anderson: We want a far contest between bat and ball

James Anderson admitted the England team were "frustrated" by another low, slow surface that did nothing for the home attack on the first day of the Investec Test series against India.

Murali Vijay batted throughout the day to make an accomplished century as India lost only four wickets on a pitch that did little to assist the England seamers. The Trent Bridge groundsman admitted he was disappointed with the lack of pace in his pitch.

While Anderson suggested the England attack, who conceded less than three an over, could be proud of their day's work in challenging circumstances, he also hinted that the surface did not allow for an "even contest between bat and ball".

Just as Stuart Broad, in the run-up to the Test, requested enough carry to ensure that edges should carry to the close fielders, so Anderson bemoaned the lack of such carry as two edges dropped short of the slip cordon and another mishit fell short of silly-point.

"It was frustrating," Anderson said. "It's not great, but there is not a lot we can do about it unless some strict directives come in.

"I thought we did brilliantly today. Our attitude was fantastic. We could have moaned about the pitch quite easily and sulked about, but I thought all the bowlers stuck at their task brilliantly and we're pretty happy with our day's work.

"As bowlers we don't expect seam movement. We expect flat pitches at Test level. We just expect our nicks to carry and a more even contest between bat and ball."

Asked if the pitch was good and whether England had utilised home advantage, Anderson replied "probably not on both counts. We're amazing hosts.

"It was frustrating. But the pitch is what it is and there is not a lot we can do about it at this stage. We've got to rest well and stick at it tomorrow. Even two days out we could see the pitch wasn't going to be one with huge amounts of pace in it. But it is something you've got to try and put out of your mind. Our job is to take wickets and all day long we tried to do that. We tried different things: different fields; different balls. We tried everything."

England enjoyed some success with their experimentation. Cheteshwar Pujara was caught at a short mid-on after Anderson bowled a full cutter with an unusually straight field, while Liam Plunkett bowled with six men on the leg side for a while. England bowled nine maidens in 14 overs immediately after lunch, with Stuart Broad miserly and Anderson gaining just enough reverse swing to trouble the batsmen.

"On a pitch like that you have try and be creative and unsettle the batsmen as much as you can," Anderson said. "All the bowlers came up with ideas and Alastair Cook was brilliant with his plans. We worked really well together at unsettling them. The way we came out after lunch was brilliant. We got two quick wickets and could have had a third with a nick that dropped short of second slip."

But despite England enjoying arguably their best day in the field this summer, India have the upper hand in this game.

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Dilshan soars at favoured venue

Perhaps it is the cooler mountain air or the smell of rain - whatever the difference, Tillakaratne Dilshan can't get enough of Pallekele

Pallekele is not a difficult place to like. The road from Kandy winds over rolling mountains, through lush tropical flora still beaded with droplets from the last rains. Troupes of Sri Lankan macaques loiter like rogues on village shop rooves, waiting to swing down when the shopkeeper takes his eyes off the bananas. Even on a clunking government bus or a rickety three-wheeler, the serenity of the surrounds is irresistible.

The ground itself is nestled in the Dumbara mountain range and flanked by tree-lined grass banks. Once, at its conception, an architect had hoped the stadium would turn out like Supersport Park in South Africa. When crowds file in and the venue becomes an island of buzz and baila for the evening, there can be no doubts it is all Sri Lankan. Some days the setting sun scatters scarlet over the western curve of sky and, then, there are few better places in the world to be - let alone for cricket.

Tillakaratne Dilshan likes it here too. For all those reasons, but for others that make the ground truly special for him, as well. He has now scored 768 runs at the venue at an average of 96.00 and a strike rate of 93.09.

When he plays at Pallekele now, he bats as if the runs are a birthright. Dilshan's cricket has mellowed over the last 18 months, with his strike rate down year-on-year since 2011 even as his run tallies have swelled, but Pallekele rarely fails to summon the savage of old. He still strikes at 93 at the ground since the beginning of 2013, but scores at a rate of 79 elsewhere.

He was off the mark with a scorching stroke through mid-on, off Dale Steyn, in the first over. Out of all his shots, that on-drive has given him the most grief in his later years; the bat often collecting fresh air as the ball cannons into the stumps. At times, he has avoided playing the shot, but at this ground, he unlocks his full arsenal. He is bulletproof here.

Even early in his innings, even off one of the finest quick bowlers in world cricket, Dilshan dares to play the on-drive, and knows he will succeed. He still plays the 'Dilscoop' regularly at Pallekele, when it has eased out of his game elsewhere. In 2011, he unfurled perhaps an even more astonishing shot than that at the ground, when he swept Shane Watson's medium pace high and long in front of square for six.

Dilshan struggles to put his finger on exactly what works for him at Pallekele. The pitch is faster than most others in the subcontinent, but not as fast as in Hambantota, where he has a far less fearsome record. There is swing and seam to be had early on for the bowlers, as well as spin later on. Perhaps it began fortuitously with a few good innings at the venue, which then snowballed into an avalanche of good vibes. Whenever he visits now, he does not just hope, he expects to excel.

"When I come here, everyone trusts that I will do well," Dilshan said. "Even today before I went out to bat, my captain to told me, 'You'll get runs today as well'. I enjoy playing cricket everywhere, but here I get a good feeling that I'll be getting runs. The more we play here, the better I'll be able to do. I've already asked my captain to request more matches here."

The wickets were a birthright too, on this occasion. He had already broken the third-wicket partnership that had sunk Sri Lanka in the first match when he had AB de Villiers caught at long-on, but he yearned for the biggest scalp of the innings as well.

When team-mates shelled two difficult chances off Hashim Amla inside three balls in his following over, Dilshan cursed loudly, turned back to his mark and kicked out twice at the turf, seething. Dilshan is perhaps the most spirited man in the Sri Lanka team, but even for him, such eruptions are rare. He could not tolerate others preventing him from claiming what was his. "Even with the ball, I feel like I can do something on this pitch," he said.

Dilshan's 86 off 90 was both impetus and backbone in Sri Lanka's innings, and it was his dismissal of de Villiers that sparked the South Africa slide of five wickets for 26 runs, and sent the visitors careening towards defeat. Perhaps it is the cooler mountain air. Perhaps it is the smell of rain, which is never far off. Whatever the difference is, Dilshan can't get enough of Pallekele.

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Test openers cut from New Zealand contract list

New Zealand's Test openers for most of the past year, Hamish Rutherford and Peter Fulton, have both been axed from the central contract list for 2014-15. Fast bowler Doug Bracewell, allrounder Grant Elliott, spinner Bruce Martin and batsman Dean Brownlie have also lost their contracts, with New Zealand's selectors making six changes to the 20-man group.

Spinners Mark Craig and Ish Sodhi earned deals, along with fast bowlers Matt Henry and Adam Milne, as well as wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi and, not surprisingly, the allrounder Jimmy Neesham, who has made two centuries from his first four Tests. New Zealand's general manager of national selection, Bruce Edgar, said the newer players had all earned their places on the list.

"We've had a very strong summer followed by the Test series victory in the West Indies where a number of younger players put their hands up for consideration," Edgar said. "Two of those integral to the series win in the West Indies were spinners Ish Sodhi and Mark Craig. While we accept that Mark and Ish are by no means the finished product, they are promising bowlers that we want to invest time in."

"Adam and Matt are two exciting young bowlers that if we manage well have got a big future in all forms of the game. Jimmy and Luke are both consistent members of our shorter-form teams and they've recently been selected in our Test squad as well."

The presence of only one specialist Test opener, Tom Latham, was an indication that uncertainty remains as to who will take those positions over the coming year. Rutherford was cut after making 322 runs at 21.46 over the past year, while Fulton struggled just as much and managed only 270 runs at 19.28.

"There'll be plenty of opportunities for the openers and others with domestic contracts to put their hand up on both the New Zealand A tour to England later this month and throughout the season in the domestic competitions," Edgar said.

A set criteria is used to rank players across all three forms of the game, with Test cricket receiving twice the weighting of ODI and T20 cricket. The players with the 20 highest aggregate scores are then offered contracts.

Daniel Vettori was not included in the contract list after turning down a deal last year due to his ongoing injury problems. Vettori has not played for New Zealand since June last year, but there are hopes that he will be able to take part in the World Cup next year.

Contract list Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Mark Craig, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Mitchell McClenaghan, Brendon McCullum, Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Luke Ronchi, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson.

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McLaren becoming vital to SA's ODI plans

There's not much that Dale Steyn gets whimsical about but the green hills and the cool mountain air of Kandy was enough bring out his softer side. "Gotta say this place is majestic! So beautiful! Blessed to see this part of the world!" Steyn tweeted.

South Africa's angry man has never played in Pallekele before, which Sri Lanka would hope works to their advantage in what is a must-win match for the hosts. South Africa have fond memories of Pallekele, though, because it is the only ground where they recorded a victory on the tour they would rather forget. After going 0-2 down in the series and appearing out of their depth with the bat, South Africa defended 223 in the third match, albeit their fightback was short-lived on the whole.

"We did the right things, gave ourselves a chance at the end, put runs on the board and managed to bowl them out, so we are really excited about this game coming up," said David Miller, who scored 85 in that match to inject authority into an otherwise limp South African innings. He had acted as an anchor that day and relished being able to spend more time at the crease than he usually does as a finisher.

Now that South Africa's top order has sorted itself out, Miller is back to his end-of-innings role and he seems to have become more confident. In the first ODI, he led the charge as South Africa took 53 runs off the last five overs.

The most impressive aspect of Miller's knock was the way he dealt with Sri Lanka's death specialist Lasith Malinga, whom he kept out and punished when the length allowed it. "Taking performances from the past into the present gives me a sense of belief that I have done it before," Miller said. "I've got to watch the ball as closely as I can. Malinga is one of the best death bowlers in the world. But the more you face someone who has an unusual action, the more comfortable you will feel."

Having a competent partner with whom you have a good understanding is also important at the end of an innings, and Miller has found that in Ryan McLaren, who was with him in Pallekele in 2013 and again in the first ODI in Colombo. McLaren scored 22 off 18 balls on Sunday to provide the support Miller needed.

McLaren's all-round contribution - 22 runs and two wickets - was one of the unsung performances of the game and it outshone that of Jacques Kallis. While it is too early to start questioning Kallis' role in the team, McLaren's performances are worth noting because he was expected to miss out when Kallis recommitted himself to the ODI team.

McLaren has played in all but two of South Africa's last 16 ODIs, dating back to the series against Sri Lanka last July, and alongside Kallis in three of them. While Kallis has been used as a batting allrounder, McLaren's role is that of a bowling allrounder, but his consistent run in the side has been beneficial for McLaren's batting. He has averaged 31.85 over the past year - compared to an overall average of 21.60 - with seven not-outs, which come with the territory of finishing an innings.

His bowling numbers have also improved marginally - 21 wickets at 26.85 apiece in the last 12 months - and there have only been two occasions when he has not bowled at least six overs in the innings. "The advantage for allrounders is that you are always going to have the opportunity to contribute," McLaren said. "There are going to be times when you don't do well in one discipline, but then you can contribute in the other."

McLaren is fast becoming an integral part of South Africa's ODI XI and is pleased with how the team is developing, especially from the last Sri Lankan tour to this one. "They came at us hard in the beginning and we showed a lot of character and finished the game clinically," McLaren said of the first ODI. "That's the most pleasing aspect - we're starting to show some character when it starts getting tough, and it doesn't get much tougher than playing in Sri Lankan conditions. This is one of the building blocks to the World Cup next year, and every game in that process is important."

When Steyn can peel himself away from the views, he would probably agree.

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Floodlights on standby for Hambantota ODI

Sri Lanka Cricket will have floodlights on standby for the third ODI in Hambantota on Saturday, after the cricket had been affected by fading light during the first ODI. Angelo Mathews had said Sri Lanka had slightly altered their approach as gloom set in in Colombo, with the Premadasa Stadium floodlights out of action for that match. SLC and Cricket South Africa had agreed not to use floodlights for day matches in the memorandum of understanding for this series, but have agreed to reverse that stance in light of the first ODI's events.

"Both Sri Lanka and South Africa teams and their respective boards are in agreement to use lights in the event the light deteriorates during the third ODI of the South Africa tour of Sri Lanka," an SLC release said.

Hiring a standby electricity generator capable of powering stadium lights is expected to cost SLC around LKR 19 million (approx. USD $146,000). The second ODI, in Pallekele, is a day-night encounter.

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Mullaney ensures Notts' run continues

Nottinghamshire 158 for 9 (Taylor 44, Mullaney 36, Patel 3-16) beat Warwickshire 152 for 6 (Porterfield 51, Mullaney 2-27) by six runs
Scorecard

Warwickshire are blessed with the most fearsome battery of fast bowlers in the country but in recent T20s they have become a liability. They disappointed once again here and lost for the fourth time in succession as their prospects of qualifying for a quarter-final slipped further.

They were almost bailed out by their batsmen but Varun Chopra, the Warwickshire captain, admitted to a poor performance chasing 159 - a below-par total for Edgbaston.

Will Porterfield's half century set up 60 to win from 42 balls but Porterfield was the only serious contribution from their top order. Quicksilver hands from Chris Read stumped Laurie Evans as Warwickshire fell short of batting power, five down, with 42 needed in four overs and despite Freddie Coleman's three boundaries, Nottinghamshire held out via a series of excellent yorkers from Luke Fletcher in the final over who conceded only six with 13 required.

Fletcher demonstrated to his opponents the correct method of bowling seam on this wicket to send Notts to their fourth straight win and now second in the division - a top two finish will secure a home quarter-final.

Warwickshire's bowlers have not been entirely to blame for the Bears' slump in form - they lost their previous three matches, the last failing to chase just 140 - and Rikki Clarke actually has the fourth-best economy rate of any bowler in the tournament. But Boyd Rankin and Chris Wright have conceded almost nine-an-over. Here, their combined seven overs leaked 87 runs as they consistently bowled too short and a line too inviting to the short boundary towards the Raglan and Priory Stands.

Wright has proved the most expensive Warwickshire bowler in the completion this season. Here, he produced two overs of very hittable bowling, the second of which was taken for 22, as 59 came from the first five overs.

The seamers perhaps gained too much encouragement from a green-tinged wicket which afforded good carry - pleasing to see with so many slow, low surfaces around. But it was also a dry pitch which gripped for the spinners and it was they who dominated, squeezing the middle of the innings as only 28 came from overs 8 to 14. Notts later found joy with pace off the ball: Samit Patel and Steven Mullaney's cutters took four wickets and conceded 55 in eight overs between them.

Shoaib Malik may have left after his short stint but in Ateeq Javed Warwickshire have a very capable spinner who has conceded below a run-a-ball in his eight matches. He and Jeetan Patel were excellent, conceding only 37 from their four overs, finding some turn. Patel also picked up three wickets, the beneficiary of two smart catches from stand-in wicketkeeper Peter McKay and a beauty which deceived Sam Wood, turned away from the left-hander's flick to leg and took out off stump.

Notts also didn't help themselves with the bat. Alex Hales ran himself out, pushing straight to Clarke at mid-off who threw the bowler's stumps down. It was a suicidal run. The equally-dangerous Samit Patel also fell in irresponsibly cheap fashion with a mistimed drive to mid-on to fall second ball.

But Notts found some top-order runs through Riki Wessels, whose boundaries were rather streaky in his 29 from 14 balls, and Steven Mullaney - opening the batting for the first time - who was far more convincing in a innings of the same duration. In the second over, he cleared his front leg to strike a length ball from Wright dead straight for six and in his next over played the most effortless flick off his legs that sailed into the seats over square leg.

James Taylor provided the mainstay of the innings. Albeit in less-than-fluent fashion. He nudged six of his first seven balls from spinners back up the wicket before playing an ungainly reverse sweep that was mistimed. He couldn't even get a bat on a free-hit from Javed and took 29 balls to reach just 11. But when pace came back on the ball with the reintroduction of Rankin, Taylor went across his stumps three times in succession to flick leg side sixes - the second a top-edge over fine leg - as 19 came from the 14th over to inject some impetus back into the innings. But they were his final boundaries and he eventually holed out to deep midwicket in the final over.

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Cook's captaincy future on the line

Alastair Cook's qualities as England captain have been widely debated. England's five-Test series against India is about to determine his future

Chappell: Difficult for Cook to improve in some areas

Amid all the advice and criticism heaped towards Alastair Cook in recent weeks, one truism has shone out: he needs to score more runs if he is to be an effective captain of England.

Cook may never be a Churchillian orator or a Napoleonic strategist. He may never shock or inspire with his words or his tactics.

But leadership comes in many forms. And the Cook who scored back-to-back centuries in Ahmedabad and Mumbai, the Cook who insisted that Kevin Pietersen was recalled at the end of 2012, the Cook who made seven centuries in his first 11 Tests as captain and the Cook who won nine and lost only one of his first 15 Tests as captain, did inspire and lift his team.

He might not offer genius, but he does offer hard work, commitment and determination. He led by example.

Whether such qualities are enough to succeed at this level remains to be seen. Indeed, the next seven weeks may define Cook's rein as captain; if England lose, it is hard to see how he can continue in the role.

But Cook's successes as captain seem to have been air-brushed out of history in recent times. To win in India, particularly having been a Test down, is a fine achievement. And, less than a year ago, he led England to a 3-0 Ashes victory. The complacency with which that result was greeted now seems incredible.

He has obvious limitations. His inability to find a solution to the Pietersen dilemma has not only weakened his side, but instigated a saga that continues to weigh him down. Equally he has struggled to integrate some characters - the likes of Nick Compton, Simon Kerrigan and Boyd Rankin - into a set-up that, if it were a little more hospitable, might coax the best out of more players.

But most of the criticism he has attracted has been for more mundane factors. It has been for his conservative field placings and safety-first declarations. It has been for a continuation of the tactics employed by Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower in taking England to No. 1 in the Test rankings and factors that constitute a relatively small fraction of the role of captain.

He knows he has to improve. He knows that his seamers will have to be utilised in shorter spells if they are to remain effective. He knows he has to find a way to cope without Graeme Swann's control and he knows there may be times when he has to be more inventive in the field.

But many of his faults have been exaggerated. While England certainly did not cover themselves in glory at Leeds, Shane Warne's suggestion that Cook's leadership was the worst he had seen in 25 years was hyperbole. In that period, we have seen captains urge players to underperform for money and to manipulate games for a leather jacket. In the grand scheme of things, Cook's decision to persist with a deep extra cover rather than a third slip does not amount to much.

Cook does not necessarily have to change his attritional style. It worked for Strauss and, if it comes naturally to Cook, it is better he sticks with it rather than trying to reinvent himself as an aggressive, risk-taker. It is just not his way and, in truth, it has rarely been the England way.

Besides, Cook was let down by his senior players as much as his own decision making against Sri Lanka. Many of the tactical failings for which he has been blamed would have been masked if his seamers had bowled fuller and his wicketkeeper taken a couple of chances. The fact that four players have registered centuries in their second Tests in recent months might even suggest that the team environment is improving.

It is hard to recall a time when England have had a captain that has not attracted an almost unbearable amount of criticism. Certainly Andrew Strauss, who even with his team at No. 1 in the Test ratings, faced calls to step down, knows how Cook is feeling. So does Mike Gatting, whose side won none of his final 14 Test in charge.

Even the best of recent vintage such as Mike Brearley, whose Test batting average of 22.88 would have seen him under immense pressure in the modern era, and Michael Vaughan, who was captain when England lost the 2007 series against India, had to deal with similar issues at one stage or another. Like the manager of the England football team, it is becoming a job in which it is impossible to please.

But, in the short term, the fact remains that many of the problems Cook currently faces will fade away if he can only rediscover his form with the bat. Without a century in 24 innings and averaging only 25.04 in that time, Cook knows he is not pulling his weight at a batsman. With little tactical acumen to compensate, that weakness is exacerbated.

There is no reason to suspect his dip in form - prolonged though it is - should be terminal. Anyone capable of making 25 Test centuries by the age of 28 has proved they are an exceptional player and, aged 29 now, the best may be ahead of him. The suggestion that bowlers have only just started testing him outside off stump seems naïve; it was always the default angle of attack.

"I'm desperately keen to lead from the front," Cook said on the eve of the Trent Bridge Test. "I know how important it is at the top of the order to do that.

"I'm in there because I'm one of the top six batters in the country. My job is to score the runs and set up the game for England. It doesn't matter whether you're captain or not.

"I haven't been doing that over the last year or so and no one is keener than me to put that right. I've worked very hard over the last 10 days. I've just got to make sure my mind is totally clear so that when I go out there I can concentrate on the most important thing, which is that ball coming down."

The India management, to their immense credit, have not sought to capitalise on Cook's difficulties. After the coach, Duncan Fletcher, backed him to recover his form at the start of tour media conference, their captain, MS Dhoni, utilised his pre-series media conference to urge Cook to ignore the criticism.

But other critics will be relentless and Cook admitted that he had required a "thick skin" in recent weeks. But he also reiterated his determination not to step down from the role whatever happens in the next 42 days.

"You have to be determined and stick to your guns. We all know you are judged on results and results have not been good enough. If we turn it round and win games of cricket things will be different.

"I'm incredibly proud to be England captain. I have thrown everything into it and continue to. Until that day the selectors decide I'm not the right man for the job I will continue to. It is a huge honour to do this and I can go to sleep knowing that I've thrown everything I've got into it."

Cook's hard work and determination have never been in doubt. The next seven weeks may well determine whether they are enough.

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ECB profit could be England's loss

The visit of India will swell the coffers of English cricket but there could be a greater cost in the long term

'Getting Kohli in early is key' - Broad

Cricket is no longer measured in terms of victories and defeats. Not predominantly, anyway. It is measured in terms of profit and loss.

How else could it come to pass that two middle-ranking Test teams would come to carve up the management of the cricket world? How else could it come to pass that, while the 2012 series between South Africa and England to decide the No. 1 Test spot was played over just three Tests, the world's fourth- and fifth-rated sides will now contest a five-match series in the space of 42 days? How else could it come to pass that the same business plan that has earned the ECB more money than ever before is also responsible for hindering the ability of its team to compete at their optimum level?

It is because cricket in England is about money, not merit.

The summer of 2014 will earn the ECB more money than any that has preceded it. Such is the value of the television audience that India generates, the season will earn even more than 2013, when England hosted an Ashes series and a Champions Trophy. That is despite one side having not won in eight successive Tests and the other having not won away in more than three years. If this were a boat race, you might expect both sides to sink.

There are many positive aspects of the ECB's wealth. It has allowed them to retain the services of their best players despite the threat of T20 leagues. It has allowed them to retain an army of support staff so large that, at times, they outnumber the playing squad. It has allowed the ECB to lead the world in the funding of disability cricket and to bring a new level of professionalism to women's cricket. It has allowed them to spend heavily on grass-roots cricket; building new facilities at clubs around the country and ensuring the continued existence of the 18-county domestic game.

But it also comes at a cost. By squeezing so many Tests into such a short window, the ECB is giving England's leading pace bowlers - the same bowlers that present the best chance of victory - little possibility of performing at their best. And, in the longer term, it risks those players in greatest demand leaving the game prematurely through burn-out (Jonathan Trott) or injury (Graeme Swann). In 2015, those players - and coaches - involved in all formats will spend around 300 days in hotels. Too much is asked of them.

Equally, the desire - an admirable desire - to ensure as little time off the pitch as possible has seen new drainage installed at most grounds. That has led not just to quick-drying outfields, but quick-drying pitches. The days of green seamers are largely gone and, with them, England's home advantage. India may not have realised it yet, but the pitches in this series may help their spinners more than England's seamers.

Across English cricket, decisions are taken which bring short-term financial gain but will cost in the longer term. From selling all live TV rights to a subscription broadcaster, to diluting the value of the Ashes by playing too many limited-overs series against Australia, the ECB is risking the long-term health of the game while claiming it is earning more than ever before. The administrators need to understand that sport, like schools and hospitals, cannot be judged purely on the bottom line.

Eventually there is a danger that, if England continue to play on low, slow wickets, if they continue to play jaded cricket, if they continue to be absent from free-to-air TV, if they continue to lose and play the same opposition, the value of broadcast rights and ticket sales will diminish. But, by then, the current management will have moved on and will be able to look back and say that all was okay on their watch.

They were points touched upon, albeit gently, by Stuart Broad as he looked ahead to the Test series. Broad, who looked weary by the end of the two-Test series against Sri Lanka, expressed his concern at the schedule and the grounds' new drainage.

	"If the pitches are dry, I think India will be licking their lips with the two spinners, won't they?" Stuart Broad

"Back-to-back Test cricket does really tire you out," Broad said. "This schedule's got five Test matches in the space of probably three, so it is pretty hectic. We will have to look after our bodies, big time. Part of the reason we had a camp last week was to get a lot of cricket work in before the series started. Once we get underway there's just no training time really.

"The clubs have all spent huge money on all these drainage systems to make sure we can get out on the field. But I don't know how much research was done into what they do to the pitches. I know our players, three or four years ago, brought the theory up that they were making the wickets too dry, too early and it is quite hard to keep bounce in the wickets now unless you leave them really green, which Test match wickets just don't do.

"So it is a bit of an issue we're suffering, with pitches bouncing three or four times to the keeper. I think Test wickets should be flat, no doubt, because the crowds want to come and see runs scored. But if you catch the edge of a batsman it's got to carry to the keeper and the slips, that's the number one rule.

"It didn't happen at Lord's and Headingley. They turned out to be really slow and both really should have been draw wickets. It will be interesting to see how this series plays out. But, if they're dry, I think India will be licking their lips with the two spinners, won't they?"

It seems they may not. Perhaps influenced by Duncan Fletcher's previous experience of English pitches - which might prove to be somewhat dated - it seems India may select a side bursting with seamers and with only one spinner.

In the short term, England may retain the seam-bowling depth to defeat an India side who have not won a single Test away since June 2011. In the longer term, if they really want to enjoy a sustained period among the best teams in the world, they need the ECB to devise a new business plan that looks to the benefit of the whole game, not just the bottom line.

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Claydon takes five as 15 wickets fall

Kent 106 for 5 trail Leicestershire 217 (Robson 56, Claydon 5-77) by 111 runs
Scorecard

Mitchell Claydon claimed his best figures for Kent as Leicestershire were bowled out for 217 on a day when 15 wickets fell at Grace Road. Bottom-of-the-table Leicestershire hit back by taking five wickets in the final session to leave Kent on 106 for 5 at the close, still 111 runs behind.

It was certainly a day for the seam bowlers, with Claydon taking 5 for 77 in 21 overs before Leicestershire's attack put them back into contention as they seek their first Championship win of the season.

Rob Key and Daniel Bell-Drummond put on 40 for Kent before five wickets fell for 54 runs in 22 overs. The departure of Key began the collapse, with the Kent captain popping up a simple catch to midwicket off Charlie Shreck. Bell-Drummond was then trapped lbw by Ben Raine and Ben Harmison dismissed in similar fashion by Rob Taylor.

Brendan Nash chopped a ball from Nathan Buck back into his stumps and when Sam Northeast was brilliantly caught at slip by Greg Smith off Shreck, Kent were in disarray at 94 for 5 but Darren Stevens and Adam Ball saw them through to stumps.

On a green-looking pitch, Key had no hesitation in bowling first after calling correctly. And the morning session proved eventful and entertaining with 126 runs, five wickets and 22 boundaries.

The first ball of the day set the tone, with a delivery from Claydon thudding into the pads of Smith. But Indian umpire Anil Chaudhray, taking part in an exchange scheme, turned down the concerted appeal.

There was certainly enough in the pitch to keep the bowlers interested, but they were also helped by the shot selection of the Leicestershire batsmen, who seemed to be stuck in Twenty20 mode. It was almost a shot a ball at times and the boundaries flowed as regularly as the wickets fell, and by lunch Claydon had taken four for 47 in 13 overs.

Smith was caught behind off a loose drive for 16, all his runs coming in boundaries, Ned Eckersley edged a lifter, Josh Cobb nicked one to slip and Angus Robson top-edged an intended hook to give Billings his third catch. But by then Robson, younger brother of England opener Sam, had posted his eighth half-century of the season from 58 balls with 10 fours.

In between all that, Dan Redfern was brilliantly caught at mid-wicket by Bell-Drummond as he tried to pull a short ball from Stevens.

Claydon bagged his fifth wicket when he pinned Niall O'Brien lbw and it needed an eighth-wicket partnership of 54 - the biggest of the match so far - between Taylor and Jigar Naik to take Leicestershire past 200 for a batting point before Charlie Hartley picked up the last two wickets.

Leicestershire coach Ben Smith was not impressed with his side's batting and said. "I did not think there was much wrong with the pitch. It was a mixture of their bowlers putting the ball in good areas and our batters not showing the discipline needed for four-day cricket."

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