Cook’s final stand
Alastair Cook marked his final England innings with a “dream-come-true” 100 before James Anderson became the joint most successful fast bowler in Test history by sparking an India collapse at the Oval on Monday.
Cook made 147 and Joe Root, his successor as England captain, 125 as the hosts piled up 423 for eight declared in their second innings of the fifth Test.
Anderson then had both Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara plumb lbw as India, needing 464 for an unlikely win, slumped to one for two in reply.
That double strike meant Anderson had equalled Australia great Glenn McGrath’s mark for the most Test wickets taken by any fast bowler of 563.
India captain Virat Kohli, who scored 593 runs this series, was then caught behind for a golden duck off Stuart Broad to leave the tourists reeling.
At stumps, India – already 3-1 down in this five-match series – were heading for defeat at 58 for three, despite KL Rahul's gutsy 46 not out
The day belonged to the 33-year-old Cook, who is retiring from international cricket after this match. “Sometimes dreams come true,” Cook said.
“It’s one of those days where you will look back and forever go ‘Wow!’.”
The Essex left-handed opener, who made 104 not out on debut against India at Nagpur in 2006, became just the fifth player to score 100 in both their first and last Tests after Australia’s Reggie Duff, Bill Ponsford and Greg Chappell and India’s Mohammad Azharuddin.
England resumed on 114 for two, 154 runs ahead, with Cook 43 not out and Root unbeaten on 29.
A capacity crowd, willing Cook to score a hundred following his first-innings 71, gave him the first of several standing ovations as he walked out to bat on a sunny morning.
Cook, about to become a father for the third time, was already England’s leading Test run-scorer and century-maker, with this match seeing him extend his national appearance record to 161 Tests.
He completed his 33rd Test century in unusual fashion when, having run a single to go to 97, a wild overthrow from Bumrah gave him four bonus runs.
Cook bowed out with a record of 12,472 Test runs, including 33 hundreds, at an average of 45.35. – AFP