Alastair Cook signs off with century against India in final England Test match

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Will Macpherson10 September 2018

Alastair Cook completed a fairytale farewell to Test cricket with a century in his final Test innings as he made 147 against India at the Kia Oval.

Resuming on 46, Cook moved past fifty for the 90th time in Test cricket in the day’s second over and guaranteed that his career average would end above 45. On 76, he moved past Kumar Sangakkara into fifth place in the all-time Test runscorers list – and in doing so became the leading left-hander.

He looked as fluent on the fourth morning at the Oval – which saw England forge an even stronger position – as he has throughout a tough final year in Test cricket

The shot with which he moved to 95, a classic straight drive, was vintage Cook, although he reached the milestone in peculiar fashion: with a single off Ravindra Jadeja turned into four overthrows by a wayward throw from Jasprit Bumrah.

Photo: Getty Images
Getty Images

He reached his century on this ground against Pakistan in 2010 – a significant moment in a remarkable career – in similar fashion.

Cook hit a century in his first Test as his career went full circle heading into retirement.

A visibly emotional Cook soaked up minutes of applause from a crowd including his wife Alice – who is due with their third child this week. It is his 33rd Test century, which puts him 10 clear of any Englishman and out on his own as 10th in the all-time list of century-makers.

Cook eventually fell on 147, with Hanuma Vihari taking opener's wicket for the final time in Test cricket when Rishabh Pant gathered after Cook nicked behind.

The opportunity to see Cook bat for the final time in Test cricket saw 3,600 tickets sold overnight for the fourth day of the Fifth Test at the Kia Oval.

More than 18,000 people were in the ground for the day’s first ball, before which his captain Joe Root stood back beyond the boundary to allow Cook the first of his many standing ovations.

As England took total control of the game, Root also made a century of his own in a partnership that eventually reached 259 before both fell in quick succession.

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