Cook: I'm mad to be disappointed

Alastair Cook knows he is "mad" to be feeling a tinge of disappointment after his career-best 294 helped to put England on the verge of world-beating status.

Cook batted for almost 13 hours as England racked up a monumental 710 for seven declared, and India's attempt to bat out more than two days of the third npower Test to salvage a draw at Edgbaston then reached 35 for one at stumps.

Andrew Strauss' team therefore merely need to take nine more wickets - India are still 451 runs behind - to clinch the series 3-0 and replace the tourists at the top of the International Cricket Council Test rankings. Cook asked rhetorically afterwards: "It's mad, isn't it, how you can still be disappointed when you score 290 odd?"

He added: "I suppose only cricket can do that to you. There's a tinge of disappointment. But if I'm being realistic, I'm absolutely thrilled.

"It's taken almost 13 hours of hard work to get the opportunity (to make 300). When you don't make it, you're going to have a little bit of disappointment.

"But you've got to look at it properly, and the fact that I actually scored 294 runs rather than the six I didn't get."

England have been steadfastly cautious about their chances of closing out victory, but it is hard to see them being denied now.

"We are strong favourites, but we know that doesn't make you win, unfortunately," added Cook, who shared a stand of 222 with Eoin Morgan (104).

"It would be great if it did, but we have got a lot of hard work to do.

"If we are patient like we have been and bowl like we know we can do, we'll put India under a lot of pressure."