Alastair Cook made his 33rd and final test innings century for England. He was dismissed by India at 147 on the day four of the fifth Test held at The Oval.
Cook reached the three magic number score figure in 210 balls. This was his 161st Test match and 291st innings. He was cleared off the field by Jasprit Bhumra after the delivery for the Indian spinner Ravindra Jadeja. He was out at the time of lunch.
As the opener was making his outgoing from England’s test team, the crowd at The Oval gave him a long standing ovation. The Indian fielders all shook his hands one by one.
Cook has ended his career with 12472 runs which is actually 3572 runs more than the next highest ranking English cricket and mentor of Cook; Graham Gooch. Cook is also the second player who ahs scored a hundred in their first and final test match. During his first Test debut held against India in 2006, Cook made 104 runs and not out. The match which was held at Nagpur, India; Cook was drafted in as a replacement for Marcus Trescothick.
Other players who achieved this feat of making a century in their first and final Test are India’s Mohammad Azharuddin and three Australian players; Greg Chappell, Reginald Duff and William Ponsford.
33 years old Cook also has more runs scored, hit more centuries, played in more Tests and taken more outfield catches than any other English Test player.
Cook also won the four ashes series in which two of this he won as a captain. He also holds record for making most consecutive test appearances; 159. This record is actually six more than the Australia’s Allan Border who made 153 consecutive test appearances.
