An innings to remember: Cook signs off with a ton

Published on: Sep 10, 2018 5:31 pm IST|Updated on: Sep 10, 2018 5:59 pm IST

Cook announced his arrival in Test cricket with a ton against India in 2006

Alastair Cook, regarded as one of the greatest to have ever donned the English shirt smashed a century in his last Test innings.

With moist eyes, all the fans greeted Cook with a standing ovation when he walked one last time to take the field before waving goodbye to international cricket and his final stand at the crease showed why England will badly miss their opener.

Cook turned back the clock and reminded the world of the year 2006 when he announced his arrival into this game with a century. Alastair Cook had scored a fifty in his first innings and he had followed it up with a blistering century in Nagpur against India.

Coincidentally, he relived his debut in his farewell match as he got dismissed on 71 in his first innings and hit a ton in his second innings for England.

Enroute, Cook also became the fifth highest run-scorer in Test cricket surpassing Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara who finished his career with 12,400 runs. Cook is only behind Sachin Tendulkar (15,921), Ricky Ponting (13,378), Jacques Kallis (13,289) and Rahul Dravid (13,288).

Cook’s fairy-tale farewell innings has now made him join an elite club of final Test centurions who have smashed a century in the debut and in their farewell match. Cook has become the fifth Test player in the history of the game who have smashed centuries in both the debut and final Tests.

Here are other players who have scored centuries on their debut and their farewell

Player name Country Matches Innings No. of career hundreds Highest score First match runs Last match runs
Mohammad Azharuddin India 99 147 22 199 110 & Did Not Bat 9 & 102
Greg Chappell Australia 87 151 24 247* 108 & Did Not Bat 182 & Did Not Bat
Reginald Duff Australia 22 40 2 146 32 & 104 146 & Did Not Bat
William Ponsford Australia 29 48 7 266 110 & 27 266 & 22

 

England assistant coach Paul Farbace had backed the idea of Cook scoring a century in his final innings before resuming of the play on day four. Alastair Cook had announced before the final Test that he would be drawing the curtains of his career after the last Test against India.

Also Read: Watching Cook score a hundred would be brilliant, says Farbace

England are currently leading by 283 runs on Day four.

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