LONDON. — Alastair Cook scored 147 in his final Test innings on day four of the fifth Test before England closed in on victory by reducing India to 58 for three at the Oval.
Playing in his 161st and final Test match, Cook and his successor captain, Joe Root (125), both struck centuries in a 259-run third-wicket partnership, allowing England to declare on 423 for eight and set India a target of 464 runs to win.
Cook passed Sri Lanka’s Kumar Sangakkara as the fifth highest Test run-scorer of all time, before he and Root, who made his first century in more than a year, were out to consecutive deliveries from Hanuma Vihari.
- Cook joins Reggie Duff, Bill Ponsford, Greg Chappell and Mohammad Azharuddin as players to score a century on debut and in their final matches
- It is his 15th second-innings century – the most by any batsman in Test cricket
- Cook has scored more runs than any left-handed batsman in Test cricket, after leapfrogging Sangakkara
- Most centuries in the third innings of a Test (13)
Later, James Anderson quickly removed Shikhar Dhawan (1) and Cheteshwar Pujara for a duck — both leg-before wicket — in the same over to move level with Glenn McGrath as the fourth highest wicket taker, and most successful fast-bowler, in Test history. Stuart Broad had India captain Virat Kohli caught behind first ball to leave India in disarray at 2 for three, but Lokesh Rahul (46 not out) — Telegraph.