Opener Denly to get chance in new order

Kent batsman likely to tour Sri Lanka in winter Cook’s exit means Root will stamp own mark

England have spent six years failing to find a partner for Alastair Cook but will now have to replace him as well, with Joe Denly likely to be the first player given the chance to take his place at the top of the order.

Cook, England’s record Test runscorer, will play his 161st and final Test match at the Oval this week after announcing his retirement in a statement released yesterday. During the fourth Test, Cook had told those closest to him in the England set-up about his decision, before announcing it to the whole squad in an emotional speech in the dressing room at the Ageas Bowl on Sunday night as the players celebrated a series-winning victory over India.

His decision is another big step towards Joe Root stamping his own mark on the England team, with Cook’s retirement leaving James Anderson and Stuart Broad as the last remaining members of the team that reached No1 in the Test rankings in 2011.

The regeneration of the team is Root’s main priority as he continues to establish his authority, with his hand strengthened by the series win over India.

England will name an unchanged squad for the fifth Test, resisting the temptation to experiment before sitting down to pick the squad for the Sri Lanka tour where they play three Tests in November.

The selectors have three top-order vacancies to fill. Keaton Jennings is regarded as a good player of spin and a young player with a strong mind and attitude, despite his struggles this summer in seeking to establish his position in the team. He will go to Sri Lanka if he makes a decent score at the Oval. Moeen Ali will continue to bat at three this week and Denly (right), who at the age of 32 is a surprise pick, is poised to go to Sri Lanka due to his ability to play spin.

Denly has improved his game since being a bit-part player in the one-day team in 2009 but the fact he is so close to selection underlines the paucity of options in county cricket. He has scored nine first-class centuries since the start of 2017. Rory Burns, the Surrey captain, is also likely to go on tour after a fine county season but England have reservations about his technique against spin.

Cook will be given a grand sendoff this week and, as one of cricket’s strongest minds, he should be able to handle the inevitable swirl of emotions as he leaves a game that has been his life.

He admitted that he has become worn down by the pressures of Test cricket after a summer in which he has averaged just 18 and made only one score above 50. Cook’s love of the game remains strong, however, and he will play one more season for Essex in 2019, repaying the debt he owes to the club who gave him his chance in cricket.

“After much thought and deliberation, I have decided to announce my retirement from international cricket at the end of this Test series against India,” he said. “Although it is a sad day, I can do so with a big smile on my face, knowing I have given everything and there is nothing left in the tank.

“I have achieved more than I could have ever imagined and feel privileged to have played for such a long time alongside some of the greats of the English game. The thought of not sharing the dressing room with some of my team-mates was the hardest part of my decision, but I know the timing is right.”

Cook thanked the England supporters and Graham Gooch, the man he replaced as England’s leading all-time run-scorer.

“As a seven-year-old, I queued for his autograph outside Essex County Cricket Club and years later was so fortunate to have him mentoring me.

“Graham was my sounding board, especially in the early years of my career, spending hour after hour throwing balls at me with his dog stick. He made me realise you always need to keep improving whatever you are trying to achieve.”

Cook has scored 12,254 runs for England and hit 32 Test centuries, his last being 244 in the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. He has made 158 consecutive Test match appearances, a world record, and captained the side for four years, winning two Ashes series at home.

He built a profitable partnership with Andrew Strauss until the latter’s retirement in 2012. Since then he has had 12 different partners with none lasting long enough to build a Test career. Cook’s own displays have dropped off over the past two years and he knew he needed a good summer to prove to himself he could carry on until next year’s Ashes.