Alastair Cook has moment of catharsis on England’s best day of Ashes tour | Ali Martin

The opener, who likes it hot and famously never sweats, silenced some swirling chatter about his future with a century at the bloomin’ boiling MCG

If you don’t like the weather in Melbourne, wait 10 minutes. Or so the saying goes. Because on the second day of the fourth Test this appeared to be bunkum, with six and a half hours of punishing 35C sun beating down on the cricket and turning the MCG into an oven.

Only the hardiest of the 67,882 supporters who came through the turnstiles for this festive furnace can have spent all three sessions sitting out in the open. Ice-creams melted in minutes, the factor 50 was non‑negotiable and for once the watery mid-strength beer must have seemed the decent option. In short, it was bloomin’ boiling.

Related: Stuart Broad backs Alastair Cook to ram home England’s advantage at MCG

Related: Alastair Cook ends Ashes century drought after England skittle Australia

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