text: What Alastair Cook did here, particularly in the first hour of his innings, was spot-on. That has to be his template from now on and if he carries on the way he has played here in Grenada, those hundreds will come again. This was really encouraging for the England captain but ultimately hugely frustrating because he couldn’t push on to that all-important hundred. Cook’s problem has been opponents stopping him scoring in areas where he has always been prolific. He has struggled when he has looked to make runs with shots that he rarely employed before. Alastair Cook's innings into day three in Grenada was spot on, particularly the first hour of it . Cook worked his way to an encouraging 50 but frustratingly was out playing Shannon Gabriel on for 76 . Yet it is nonsense to say a batsman who has hit 25 Test hundreds cannot drive the ball. Of course he can. The key for him is not to play the drive too early, when the ball is moving around and his balance at the crease is not quite right. Perhaps it has been playing too much one-day cricket, perhaps it has just been the pressure to score big runs again, but Cook has been searching for the ball far too early. Here he left the ball outside off stump and made the bowlers come to him, which took a lot of mental strength and composure. The drag-on was always going to be a danger on this pitch but Cook was right to try to play that shot because the cut is one of his big strengths. His eyes lit up when he was bowled a short, wide one by Shannon Gabriel. But the ball just lacked pace, Cook was through the shot too early, the angle from round the wicket tucked him up and the inside edge came into play. He cannot admonish himself for playing at the delivery. Boy, do I admire Cook’s fortitude and the concentration he showed on that sluggish pitch with an incredibly slow outfield. The England captain hits behind square on the onside as Jermaine Blackwood ducks for cover . Cook left the ball outside off stump and made the bowlers come to him, but drove when the option arose . He is stronger mentally than anyone he will face, so he just has to carry on showing the same discipline. The bowlers will become bored before he does. The fact is, 76 here was pretty much worth a hundred in these day-three conditions, but sadly for Cook that is not how the record books will show it. The England captain was aided by the fact the ball did not swing much for West Indies, because it is the moving delivery that has caused him so many problems. It is to Cook’s credit that he has not looked under pressure in this second Test and his recent statistics — four scores of 70-plus in his last seven Test innings — are absolutely fine for a normal human being. The problem for him is that until the age of 28 he wasn’t normal; he was an absolute run machine. Cook's off stump is rattled after a wide delivery from Gabriel found the inside edge . The skipper shows his frustration as his impressive innings to this point is cut short . Gabriel celebrates after Cook's eyes lit but the ball just lacked pace and he was through the shot too early . West Indies celebrate the breakthrough  but Cook cannot admonish himself for playing at the delivery . Cook just has to put that one key statistic to bed and finally reach three figures, then move on with such a big summer ahead. His inability to do so means we are still talking about how long it’s been since his last Test century but there were good signs here. Meanwhile, Jonathan Trott still looked a little frenetic at the start of his innings, certainly for those first 10 to 15 runs when he was searching for the ball and driving when he did not need to. Jonathan Trott drives during his first innings of 59, which started day three somewhat frenetically . Cook congratulates a smiling Trott after his fellow opener reached his 50 milestone in the morning session . Yet as his innings progressed, he looked calmer and it was significant when he started walking off towards square leg between deliveries. He was in his little bubble again and it showed me that he was back. Trott has obviously been through a heck of a lot, has looked anxious and wants to prove the point that he belongs back with England and that he can open the batting in Tests. The more he played, the more he looked like Jonathan Trott. Trott looked calmer as his innings went on but Devendra Bishoo found his edge before he could go on with it . Trott leaves the field at St George's - on St George's Day - after an opening partnership of 125 runs .
target: Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott put on an opening partnership of 125 .
  Cook scored an encouraging 76 before playing a wide ball onto his stumps .
  The England captain made the bowlers come to him and looked solid .
  Trott was first out  for 59 but appeared increasingly comfortable .