Gooch: Cook is ‘flatlining’ and making ‘similar mistakes’

“I don’t know how he’s practicing, I don’t know what he’s doing away from the game. I am concerned when I see him play because I think he makes similar mistakes. Even at the age of 33/34 you can improve yourself"

^{Graham Gooch has said that Alastair Cook is "flatlining" after failing again at the Ageas Bowl on Thursday}

Former England captain Graham Gooch has outlined his concern at Alastair Cook’s poor form with the bat after England’s all-time leading Test run scorer failed again in the first innings of the fourth Test against India at the Ageas Bowl.

Cook, 33, scored 17 in a 92 minute innings before playing a rash shot to cut a Hardik Pandya delivery to Virat Kohli on Thursday morning. The innings took the Essex batsman’s series total to only 97 runs while, before the fourth Test, Cook had been averaging 19 from eight Tests in the English summer.

Speaking about the man he used to coach and his struggles to find form on BBC’s Today programme, Gooch said: “My concern would be, watching him, I don’t see any improvements in his game. I think he’s flatlining a little bit.”

England’s top-order struggles have not been the fault of Cook alone. In half of their last 62 innings, England’s Test side has been 100 for four or worse.

Cook’s problems have certainly not helped though and, either side of brilliant mammoth double hundreds against West Indies and Australia in 2017, the former England captain has suffered through lean times with only one half-century this year.

Gooch continued: “I think, when you’re a cricketer, a batsman, you always need to improve yourself. You need to look for new things to do to drive you forward.

“I don’t know how he’s practicing, I don’t know what he’s doing away from the game. I am concerned when I see him play because I think he makes similar mistakes. Even at the age of 33/34 you can improve yourself.” 

MORSHEAD: ENGLAND'S TOP-ORDER FAILS AGAIN