England batting legend walks off into golden sunset at packed Oval

LONDON : Alastair Cook’s long career has been more about tenacity than flamboyance, a quality needed to survive in the first place for anyone taking up the job of seeing off the new ball in seaming English conditions and setting the platform for the rest of the batsmen.

It has been in evidence from the time a youngster was flown in from the Caribbean to make his Test debut against India at Nagpur, as injury replacement for Michael Vaughan, in March 2006. A 60 and 104 not out followed. England’s fortunes have been tied to the left-handed batsman’s grit since then and on Monday Cook signed off in perfect fashion, with a century in his final Test innings against India at The Oval.

On Monday afternoon, Cook walked off to a grand ovation after playing one such innings for the last time, shaking the hands of each India player and then turning around to acknowledge the crowd before climbing the steps to the dressing room with the applause still ringing.

A rare double – Cook is only the fifth to score a century on debut and last Test and owns the England records for most caps, runs and centuries – took his average to only around 45 when a key measure of a great Test batsman is a career average of 50. It shows how demanding his job has been against the moving ball under often overcast skies – more ideal for a visiting bowler to lower his average.

Cook’s legacy as a batsman is immense. Unlike other countries, England have great respect for dour opening batsmen as they acknowledge how difficult it is to find a durable player for the slot.