Five Greatest Moments of Alastair Cook's Career

#3 Putting out the Protea Fire

The selection of Ben Stokes was a masterstroke for Cook during the South African tour

It is time for perspective lessons. South Africa is the worst place to try to win a Test series if you are not Australia. Since their readmission, England was the only side other than them to beat South Africa, that too back in 2004/05.

A side featuring an immovable object in Hashim Amla and an unstoppable force in AB de Villiers. Add to it a pace battery of Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Kyle Abbott and Kagiso Rabada that licked its lips every season as if batsmen's fear and sub-100 totals were the only ingredients they needed to finish preparing their cauldron of immortality.

As opposed to teams going with the extra pacer in the conditions that made Sreesanth look unplayable, Cook went in with five batsmen capable of batting in the top order, followed by all-rounders Moeen Ali and the skipper's masterstroke selection, Ben Stokes.

While this ploy tired out the home seamers, the two all-rounders made sure that only England's front-line bowlers bowled when Amla and de Villiers were at the crease. The fearless attacking fields to the latter worked wonders as he found it impossible to get going against the menacing Stuart Broad and his sly assortment of teasing out-swingers and the one terminating in-swinger.

The No. 1 ranked South Africa were beaten 2-1 as Cook scaled the last of his foreign fortresses.