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Cook doffs cap to 'phenomenal' Root

Alastair Cook conceded that the performance of the day had come from his sidekick and successor as captain, Joe Root

Alastair Cook marked the first day of day-night Test cricket in England with an unbeaten innings of 153 from 276 balls, but conceded that the performance of the day had come from his sidekick and successor as captain, Joe Root, as West Indies were put to the sword in the first Investec Test at Edgbaston.
After conceding two early wickets, Cook and Root added 248 for England's third wicket in a stand that spanned the entirety of the afternoon session, before Root missed a drive in the twilight and was bowled for 136, his second century of the summer and an innings that means he has now reached at least fifty in 11 consecutive Tests, an England record.
Cook, who had been 22 not out when Root joined him at the crease, could only watch in admiration - and a tinge of professional jealousy - as his team-mate cruised to his 13th Test century from 139 balls. Cook had 22 when Root came to the crease and was on 80 when he raised three figures.
"It's fairly frustrating when you have a 30-run start on him and he beats you to a hundred by 30," Cook said. "He makes it look quite easy, frustratingly easy in fact.
"It's incredible how he managed to score like he does. If he's not the best English player I've played with, he's right up there. His game is phenomenal, he's churning out runs, his 11th consecutive Test with a fifty, that's phenomenal consistency against world-class bowlers, and around the world as well.
"Is he a genius? I don't know, but he's an unbelievable player to watch from the other end, how he moves, his rhythm … it's a lesson to us all, isn't it?"
Cook, however, handed out a fair few lessons of his own in the course of his 31st Test century, and first since his return to the ranks against South Africa in July. With his 150 on the board already and four days remaining in the match, he recognises he has the chance to press on to a huge personal score on the ground where he made his career-best 294 against India in 2011.
"I can't be looking too far ahead," he said. "But I've got an opportunity to get a big score, there's a lot of time left in the game, but you can always nick the first ball tomorrow. It's up to me to take the opportunity."
One man who couldn't take his opportunity was Cook's latest opening partner, Mark Stoneman - the 12th to step up alongside him since the retirement of Andrew Strauss. Stoneman started impressively, with two early boundaries, before falling to the ball of the day from Kemar Roach for 8.
"That is what opening the batting in international cricket is about," said Cook. "There will be good balls flowing around. Either you want it to just miss the stumps, or stand at the other end like I did and say 'poor Rocky'. As Mike Atherton said, you're paid to score runs, he's paid to get you out, so one day you're going to win, and sometimes they'll win. I saw him score 190 against us at Guildford, so I know he's a good player."
That range of score, and more, is now very much in Cook's sights. "I think if you get 150 and not out at end of the day, of course you'll enjoy it," he said. "The jury will always be out on the pink ball until we know more about it, two or three years down the line, how it reacts in all kinds of situations. But, if you were using a red ball, under a clear blue sky and on a good wicket like Edgbaston, it would have been the same."

Andrew Miller is UK editor of ESPNcricinfo. @miller_cricket