Cook's recent winter is the last step to international cricket. Given that he has been ignored for so long, few people would blame him if he gave up and hunted the dollar in a short-term league.

Instead, he turned down “some franchises” for Australia’s England Lions and was one of the outstanding performers on the otherwise disappointing tour. Although the Lions failed to win any of the three games, Cook grabbed 13 wickets, a convenient demonstration of his ability to go with Kookaburra Ball in the Ashes for a year.

“I made the right decision to show with the Lions what I can do in Australia,” he said. “This has exacerbated my international cricket career.”

At a time when England changed their approach to choice, Cook's inclusion showed that county performances could still provide a path for testing teams.

He was probably the most deserving last summer when the Green Josh Hull had a chance after Mark Wood was injured. At the time, the director of Cricket Rob Key in England explained that the decision depends on the style of the bowling ball and that if the Viper needs to be replaced, Cook will be in the frame. So, Cook has to wait longer.

"I just want to know what they want to see me do," Cook said. "It's not a fuss or moaning situation, I just long to know how I can improve.

"It's never a 'we don't think you're fast enough' situation. It's just trying to get my pace up to the highest possible speed, hone the skills, and a lot of them are just the guys in front, which is better for bowling like Jimmy and Brody."

So Cook arrived at the Test cricket battle, was happy with his game, and, in his opinion, “a better place than I was chosen a year or two ago.”

In his best case, he will provide control and accuracy for England. Keeping length is one of his key skills. Over the past five years, he has had 77% of his distribution in the championship game last good, the highest percentage of the top ten seafarers.

"It's not what the ball does, it's what it does from it," Lewis said. "He put the ball in the right area and asked enough cricketers' questions.

"The cricketer goes out in two ways: poor decision making or poor shooting. He put enough balls in one of the two options. He transfers the ball in both ways, but his length ability is special."

Zimbabwe was last tested in England 22 years ago, and the series is known for its debut as Anderson, the patron saint of British-style seamen like Cook.

Anderson bowed on Lord's with five door drag. Is it a choice to cook - demanding a five-point debut or seeing Manchester United win the Europa League?

"It's easy," he said. "I want five. If we lose, I'll tell everyone that the Europa League is an irrelevant trophy. Hopefully I can be greedy and have both."