AUS vs ENG: He Plays Shots Which.... - Alastair Cook Compares England Star With Virender Sehwag
Published - 26 Jul 2023, 04:47 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:16 AM
Former England captain Alastair Cook has heaped praise on Zak Crawley and has compared him with the legendary Virender Sehwag.
The right-handed batsman has truly announced his arrival in international cricket with his scintillating performances in the ongoing five-match Ashes series against Australia. Against Australia’s star-studded bowling lineup, Zak Crawley has proved himself and has shown that he is more than capable of opening the innings for England in international cricket.
He began his Ashes campaign with a knock of 61 in the first innings of the first Test that included the scintillating cover drive for a four on the very first ball of the series against Pat Cummins. It was followed by knocks of 7, 48, 3, 33, and 44 before he played the stunning knock of 189 runs in the fourth Test.
Zak Crawley smashed 189 off just 182 balls to put England in the driver’s seat before rain shattered the hosts’ hopes of winning the game and drawing level in the series. As of now, he is the highest run-scorer in the series ahead of the likes of Steve Smith, Joe Root, and Marnus Labuschagne. The England opener has scored 385 runs in 4 Tests so far at an average of 55 and a strike rate of almost 90.
Alastair Cook praises Zak Crawley:
With Zak Crawley making a big mark with his batting in the ongoing Ashes, he has received some high praise from Alastair Cook. The England legend compared Crawley with Virender Sehwag as the opening batsman took the likes of Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, and other Australian bowlers to the cleaners.
“I think the way Zak Crawley has played in this series. That knock was a special knock. To score 189 out of 182 balls against the quality of Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins I think is extraordinary. I think that potential is why Ben and Brendon have stuck with him.
He plays shots which no one else can play as an opener in the world. You can compare a little bit of Sehwag in terms of the ability to take frontline bowlers down. It’s actually unique and when he does have his day, he changes games. That’s why he’s been backed so hard by the England leadership and they got rewarded for it,” Cook said during a media interaction arranged by Sony Sports Network.
Crawley will be looking to end the Ashes on a high and finish the series as the highest run-scorer. The fifth and final Test is scheduled to get underway on Thursday (July 26).
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