off-stump

Strauss is out and England are one down.25th over: England 47-0 Strauss 26, Cook 16 need 324 to win Cook, having made it quite clear that he isn't going to play at anything outside his off-stump even if he was holding a bargepole rather than a bat, suckers Gul into bowling a straight one at leg stump, which Cook whips away for three to the leg-side.

Pakistan v England – day four live! | Andy Bull and Rob Smyth 2012

Otherwise Cook flags most of the over through outside off-stump.

Pakistan v England – day four live! | Andy Bull and Rob Smyth 2012

It is true that the angle fed to them by right-arm over the wicket bowlers arcing deliveries outside off-stump gives them more opportunity to showcase imperious cover drives but their advantage here is also their weakness, as Gower demonstrated when Mudassar Nazar's dobbers lured him into Pakistan's trap in 1982 and 1987.

VVS Laxman is the latest standard bearer for the Golden Age 2011

A good thing too, given that Hawkeye shows that the not out decision would have stood as it was.17th over: Pakistan 46-0 Hafeez 26, Taufeeq 18 Anderson also starts well, with a ball that shapes in a little and flies just past the off-stump.

Pakistan v England – live! | Andy Bull and Rob Smyth 2012

Warwickshire broke through again at 143, when Jeetan Patel, who had set a most attacking field, knocked back Andrew Hodd's off-stump with the batsman playing no stroke.

Warwickshire on course for win over Sussex to put them in title hunt 2011

At the beginning of the awards qualification period last August there were those who hinted that Cook might be a liability on the forthcoming Ashes tour, an off-stump fiddle who had failed to expand his game from promising beginnings.

England's Jonathan Trott and Alastair Cook hit sixes at ICC awards 2011

Walk down the line of off-stump and you can take lbw out of the equation.

Muralitharan the game-changer spells more danger for England | Duncan Fletcher 2011

Strauss needs to make runs and restate his so far unquestioned authority Some have suggested the real test of Alastair Cook's reinvention as a one‑day batsman will be how he makes the readjustment back to Test match austerity, most notably in the key area outside his off-stump against the new ball.

Five key concerns for England to ponder ahead of the India series 2011

This assault should not be considered unexpected from someone who can sit so deep in the crease – behind it even when he goes outside off-stump – and bludgeon over the leg-side so that the game almost transmutes into baseball.

New Zealand's boundary bounty should not be demeaned by cries of 'fix' 2011

Mr. Bresnan then pegged back Johnson's off-stump and Anderson found Mr. Hilfenhaus's edge as the batsman ran down trying to swat the highest of bouncers.

Australia Hoping to Stem Michael Atherton 2011