Batting's the good life for Cook

Every batsman is given different gifts, and run-hunger and the intuitive facility to grasp the craft of scoring are just as valuable as exceptional physical skill, writes S Ram Mahesh in the Hindu. And while he may appear stiffly methodical at the crease, his love for the activity of run-making is evident to all.

His innate endurance (a less-recognised physical gift, like his knack for working the ball to the on-side) helped him on two levels. He was so fit that he barely broke a sweat, and this fitness in turn allowed him to concentrate better, his body making few demands of the mind.