Dawid Malan had 'the best seat in the house' for Alastair Cook's masterclass

Dawid Malan admitted Alastair Cook had showed him how to succeed in international cricket after watching the former England captain score 243 against West Indies.

In the first day/night Test in this country, Malan made 65 - his maiden Test 50 - and admitted Cook’s presence had helped him.

Malan struggled in his opening two Tests against South Africa, failing to get to grips with an outstanding bowling attack, but he found the going easier against West Indies.

"I needed that," he said. "I didn’t look like scoring a run against South Africa so it was nice to hit a few in the middle of the bat, and feel a bit more composed at the crease.

"Cooky gave a batting masterclass and I had the best seat in the house. Whether it is a good wicket or not, 243 is a fantastic achievement.

"I was so impressed with how disciplined he stayed, because he never looked like he strayed from his gameplan from the first over of the innings until the last.

"For someone new to international cricket it was great to watch how a master goes at his work, and it showed me what I need to do to be successful at this level.

"I have quite a few habits in the middle - I like to tap bats and gloves with my batting partner - and he was happy to go along with them to make me feel comfortable. He is a fantastic bloke as well as a fantastic player.”

England piled up 514 for eight declared and West Indies reached 44 for one before rain brought a premature halt to the day’s play.

Malan added: "I would not have liked to face anyone with a lot of pace under the floodlights.

"The older ball was easier to see but when the ball was new and shiny, it was blurred under the lights."

West Indies off-spinner Roston Chase said: "Getting to the close only one wicket down was a big boost for us and our batsmen are full of confidence."