COOK SIGNS OF WITH SPARKING TON

Tons in debut & farewell Tests, former England captain 5th batsman to achieve rare feat

LONDON: Legend has it that Sir Don Bradman was teary-eyed when he was beaten by Eric Hollies’ googly in his final Test match at the Oval in 1948.

However, just over 70 years later at the same ground, Alastair Cook showed no such emotions as he scored another workmanlike hundred, his 33rd and final one in Test cricket, against India.

Interestingly, his debut hundred was also against India, at Nagpur in 2006.

Not many have scored a hundred on their debut and farewell Test and Cook joined the elite club which also has Greg Chappell and Mohammed Azharuddin.

He is only the fifth such cricketer with the other two being Bill Ponsford and Reginald Duff.

Purists equate left-handed batsmen with grace but Cook was a paradox with his effective batting that was devoid of elegance.

David Gower’s cover drive remains a stuff of legends but Cook has been a working class hero as John Lenon would have put it.

If the ball is on his pads, he would just whip it and deliveries with width would be ferociously cut.

However, it will be difficult to remember Cook’s shots even though the impact of his innings has always been felt if one looked at the larger picture.

“He is totally committed to England and he deserved a sweet send-off,” said Sunil Gavaskar, who scored one century more than the former England captain.

Cook’s daughters were present and the applause was generous as the Oval gave him a standing ovation.

But it never felt like an event taking place in an amphitheatre like it happened with Sachin Tendulkar at the Wankhede.

The celebrations were as minimal as it they have been for his eighth, 17th or 23rd century. Happy and matter of fact.

After all, he had a job at hand. To frustrate the Indian attack no end and kill the match as a contest.

Rahul Dravid’s team tasted it first in 2006, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s men suffered in 2011, 12 and 14 and now it was the turn of Virat Kohli’s band to meet the same fate in 2018, albeit the last time.

Cook said that he had “nothing left in the tank” but what he didn’t say was that there was a last ounce present and it was meant for the ‘Three Lions’.

There was no place for any overriding emotions and he was as focussed against Ishant Sharma’s angular deliveries on third evening as he was against rookie Hanuma Vihari’s off-breaks at the stroke of lunch on Monday.

England set India a victory target of 464 runs after declaring their second innings at 423/8 in the fifth and final Test.

Cook scored 147 in his final innings in company of skipper Joe Root, who was back in form with a three figure mark as England reached 364 for 6 at tea on the penultimate day of the fifth Test.

England now enjoy an overall lead of 404 runs and the 259-run stand for the third wicket between Cook and Root (125) killed the contest.

Root scored his first 100 in 28 innings as Indian bowlers struggled in absence of an injured Sharma.

While Cook’s 286 ball knock had 14 boundaries, Root hit 12 fours and a six off 190 balls as both were dismissed off successive deliveries by debutant Hanuma Vihari (2/24).

In the post lunch session, the duo

looked to build on their partnership and further frustrate the Indian bowlers, bringing up their 200-stand off 303 balls.

Root, on 94, got a second life as Cheteshwar Pujara dropped him at first slip off Mohammed Shami (2-97) in the 77th over. He then went on to score his 14th Test hundred off 151 balls.

Thereafter, Root started attacking as England crossed 300 in the 88th over. India were a bowler short with Ishant

leaving the field due to ankle pain. Vihari struck twice in the 95th over. First, Root holed out and then Cook was caught behind, with the opener walking off to a standing ovation as well as congratulatory handshakes from the Indian team. Shami then got reward as Jonny Bairstow (18) played on and Ravindra Jadeja (2-147) removed Jos Buttler for a duck as England looked to score some quick runs in sight of a declaration.