Alastair Cook looks like he could go on and on and on as England captain as he prepares to make his record-equalling appearance as Test skipper, says Michael Atherton.Cook will match Athertons own mark of 54 games as England captain when the second Test against Bangladesh begins in Dhaka on Friday - live on Sky Sports 2 from 4.30am.Speaking to the Sky Cricket Podcast Atherton says he has tremendous admiration for Cooks longevity in the role and offers an insight into the many and varied demands of the job. Cooks Captaincy Stats How do Cooks numbers compare to Athertons? I remember how beat up I felt at the end of the years that I did it due to a combination of things - the physical demands, which were intense at a time when we didnt play as much international cricket as they do now - but we played a lot of cricket in between for counties, says Atherton.Obviously the 1990s when I captained was not a particularly successful time comparative to now so that combination of criticism and getting beaten meant that I was very, very weary.A bit like Alastair, I was batting at the top of the order and I think that adds an extra layer of pressure; you do get a break when youre out but you are out there trying to lead from the front. For all those reasons four years did me in and I was really ready to pack up then. Having done it for four years I felt it was almost like having played for eight years - captaining and opening the batting was a double whammy.What Im getting round to is I have tremendous admiration for Alastair, having got to 54 games, and looking as fresh as a daisy. I saw him in the gym the other day; he was pounding out 5km in about 18 minutes, lifting weights and looking in fantastic physical nick.He looks as though he could go on and on and on. Generally I feel there is a bit of a shelf-life for captains - I did it for three-and-a-half to four years, Michael Vaughan did it for four years, Nasser Hussain did it for four years and all of us looked very, very beaten up by the end of it. Cooks captaincy journey We chart some of the highs - and lows - of Cooks spell as England Test skipper All of the factors that led to me being beat up are almost the opposite for him. England are doing well, now - they are pretty successful. He will feel very different now from how he felt at the end of the Ashes when England where white-washed, when he looked like a haunted man.Secondly, what I think was absolutely vital for him, was being removed from the one-day captaincy which he didnt like at the time but it means that he gets a fantastic work-life balance; it means that he can come to every Test match series focused on a pretty short period of time.The third thing is that he has a life away from cricket; hes got the other interest, which is farming. He gets away and hes not on social media so when he is away from cricket, he is away from cricket.The final factor is that the support network around the team now is so far removed from what it was in terms of the coaching staff, the physical support and the commercial support means that a lot of the load is taken off the captain. Alastair Cook talks Test longevity with Mike Atherton... Listen to the interview in full by downloading the Sky Cricket Podcast here, and get Athertons thoughts on how…Cooks ability to change, keep learning and listen to a wider range of advice has helped him to grow as a captain how the appointment of Trevor Bayliss and Paul Farbrace - and their almost hands-off approach - has helped Cooks confidence his thoughts on whether Haseeb Hameed is likely to stay on the sidelines while Gary Ballance gets another goWatch the second Test between Bangladesh and England live on Sky Sports 2 from 4.30am on Friday. You can watch Premier League and EFL Cup football, plus Englands tour of Bangladesh and the Mexican Grand Prix on Sky Sports. Upgrade now and enjoy six months at half price!Also See:Cooks captaincy statsCooks captaincy journeyCook: Test record surrealLive cricket on SkyAnthony Miller Bears Jersey . 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The sweep snapped the longest skid of the season for Chicago, which lost six of seven prior to facing the Reds.This was a good series for us, said Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo, who hit a three-run inside-the-park homer Wednesday.The Cubs have had a lot of good series this year. Chicago, which is looking to reach the World Series for the first time since 1945 and win it all for the first time since 1908, is now a baseball-best 51-26, with a mammoth run differential -- plus-170 -- that suggests ot should have five or six more wins.The Mets, meanwhile, continued to spiral downward Wednesday with a 4-2 loss to the Washington Nationals. The loss capped a three-game sweep at the hands of the Nationals, who extended their lead over the Mets from three to six games.The loss ended a 2-5 road trip for the Mets, who were outscored 35-20 by the Nationals and Atlanta Braves. New York, which blew an early 4-0 lead in Mondays opener against the Nationals, went 23 straight innings without scoring until James Loney hit a twwo-run homer in the ninth inning Wednesday.ddddddddddddWere just not giving ourselves chances, Mets manager Terry Collins said. We just cant give our pitchers any room to work.At 40-37, New York is the closest it has been to .500 since April 24, though it is still only a half-game behind the Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals in the race for the NLs second wild card.Theyre struggling lately and theyre banged up, Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. It is different (than last year) for both teams.The series opener Thursday begins an 11-game homestand for the Mets that could dictate the direction the rest of their season takes. After the Cubs exit Sunday, the Mets host the Marlins for three games and the Nationals for four games.Weve still got 11 before the All-Star Break, Collins said. 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