Cook passes best as England plunder weary India

Alastair Cook registered his second double century and highest test score as England powered on to a ground-record 646 for six in the third test against India on Friday.

England, replying to India’s 224, extended their lead to 422 runs over the weary Indians with Cook going to tea on the third day on 266 not out and Tim Bresnan on 19.

The left-handed opener has batted for almost 12 hours and bettered his previous test-best 235 not out against Australia in Brisbane last year. Eoin Morgan made 104.

England are on course for the victory that would give them an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-match series and lift them to the top of the world rankings.

Cook’s effort was the second-longest test innings by an England batsman, surpassing Ken Barrington’s 256 in 683 minutes. Only Len Hutton has batted longer, during his English record score of 364.

Batting conditions at Edgbaston were not all that favourable with high humidity and dark clouds overhead.

India bowled their spinners for most of the afternoon.

The teams, who lost time to rain in the morning session, were also interrupted for 16 minutes in the afternoon by bad light.

The new permanent floodlights at Edgbaston failed to work after the umpires had requested their usage.

The 25,000 capacity crowd booed as the players left the field while the lights flickered but failed to recover in time from an earlier power cut.

It was only temporary respite for India from Cook’s endurance, though, as he added 222 with Morgan, who was dropped twice on Thursday. Morgan was finally caught at cover off off-spinner Suresh Raina. It was England’s eighth century stand in the series. India have had just the one century partnership, emphasising the gulf between the teams.

Cook was circumspect for most of the day, managing just three boundaries in two sessions in an innings that became more turgid as the day went on.

Ravi Bopara raised the teams’s 600 with a slashed cut for four off a thick edge from Amit Mishra but he was trapped lbw by the same bowler for seven while pushing down the wrong line. Matt Prior was the third man out, top-edging a sweep off Mishra to Sachin Tendulkar at fine leg for five. BIRMINGHAM, England, Friday (Reuters)