Alastair Cook had a look of contentment on his face after leading England to a resounding Test series triumph against India at The Oval. His personal form and captaincy were a lot better than it had been during the last year or so. Many former players called for Cook to be removed as skipper during this period. He chose to stick on as England captain. The thought of quitting, however, did enter his mind.
The England skipper after the defeat to Sri Lanka, where they lost the Test with two deliveries remaining, entertained thoughts of resigning as skipper. He confided this to his wife Alice and it was on her insistence that he not resign which stopped him from giving up the key role.
"It was the support I had from my wife," the England skipper said to SkySports. "You can bare your soul to Alice and she's very good at getting you back on the straight and narrow."
The defeat at the hands of the Sri Lankans, which ultimately cost them the series, was a very hard one to stomach. The loss at Lord's against India affected Cook a lot too.
"That was a tough night. We'd let a winning position slip. The defeat by India at Lord's was tough too," Cook pointed out.
The England skipper, though, was not going to walk away without putting up a fight which is precisely what he did. His innings of 95 in the third Test in the first innings showed he was a hard nut to crack.
"I'm quite stubborn, I believe in my ability and I'm a resilient guy. I'm glad I stuck though the tough times, that is what sport is about -- it tests your character," Cook said.
The Engllish team, which in the end won the Test series against India convincingly 3-1, came in for praise from Cook.
"To bounce back as a team is a testament to our character too," he said.
In the last few months Cook has faced a lot of criticism. Many past England captains were of the opinion Cook should hand over the captaincy to somebody else. Former Ashes winning skipper and batsman Michael Vaughan held this view. After the series win against India Vaughan has changed his mind.
"No question, I was wrong," Vaughan told BBC Sport. "Two and a half weeks ago, I said a break would've done him good. But the England and Wales Cricket Board stood by him, he was strong and said: 'I'm the man to carry this young team forward.'"
