In defence of Alastair Cook

The time was 12.58pm on Monday, July 21. The largely Indian crowd at HQ was subdued - even the chap who wanted to stand in everyone's way at the foot of the Lower Compton to get pictures of himself had sat down, the victim of an epic Coca-Cola spill on a white shirt - a 100-run partnership had been secured and the first bottle of wine was nearly finished. All was well and good.
Then Moeen Ali got caught between pulling and ducking (pucking?).
An hour of play later and that was that - England all out, six wickets lost for around 50 runs or so, tipsy but inoffensive Indian fans were delighted and England fans were just plain offended. A collapse to a fast-medium pacer in English conditions deploying some short-pitched stuff.
Batsman after batsman going taking on the hook and pull.
Prior? Live by the sword, die by the sword right and play to your strengths but read the situation as an experienced player - there are three men out on the hook. Leave the short ball alone.
Stokes? Yes you're out of form and slightly green but take a look at the scoreboard. Leave the short ball well alone.
Root? Likewise. You've batted superbly for 66. You have lost three partners in quick session. You have only played 19 Tests but take a step back and breathe. And leave the short ball well alone.
Broad? Well, you're not an all-rounder so we can let you off really.
Inevitably, the inquest spotlights fell on to Alastair Cook, unfairly in my view.
The buck probably does stop with the captain but what can he do when his players are not using their brains?
Yes he can score more runs but that isn't going to get his batsman to play properly. He was incredibly proactive in both innings when talking to his bowlers (for the most part) but if they don't use their initiative as professionals, what more can the captain do? What else can the skipper do to get his senior players backing him and leading alongside him when he is already taking scorchers of catches and setting relatively smart fields?
Yes Matt Prior and Stuart Broad in particular look to be carrying injuries and are knackered but there is no shame in sticking your hand up and saying 'I can't carry on' rather than forcing your captain and management team in to having to make a tough decision. Ian Bell is out of form and James Anderson is probably pretty shattered and distracted by the Jadeja spat furthermore.
Cook has enough to worry about with his own form without having no-one to stand alongside him
He is still the best man for the job. Without wishing to make him sound like the best of a bad bunch, every other candidate has a worse CV.
Bell - equally as out of form. Root - arguably in too good form (captaincy will drag it down). Prior? No form and injured. Eoin Morgan? Average Test record and no first class captaincy experience. Chris Read? He's nearly 37 and averages 19 - you might as well bring back Mike Brearley. Any bowler? Too many Tests crammed into a short space of time so they won't play regularly.
Furthermore, what would be the point in shaking up the team so violently when the Rose Bowl Test is five days away?
Cook should remain as captain - though certainly take a break after the Tests and come back in the winter - as he is still the best candidate - mentally strong, seen it all in the game, the natural choice and up until a year ago, a very good track record.
Unlike Andrew Strauss - a very similar captain - and perhaps in a similar vein to Ricky Ponting, Cook has had to deal with the demise of a very good team. In the past year, for one reason or another, Cook has lost Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen, and Graeme Swann.
Cook probably has a similar job description to that of Nasser Hussain - the changing of the guard with a young team in transition. Who will be the new Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Andrew Flintoff, Steve Harmison and Matthew Hoggard to lead the next generation? Root, Gary Ballance, Moeen Ali and Chris Jordan look promising but not ready for leadership.
Cook still wants the role and can lead the next generation through. Let him get on with it.

Starting XI for the Third Test vs India- Cook (C), Robson, Ballance, Taylor, Root, Ali, Buttler, Woakes, Plunkett, Jordan, Anderson