An innings to remember: Cook signs off with a ton

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.

He's done it!

The Chef cooks up his 33rd Test century in his final innings! ?

What a way to sign off – congratulations Alastair Cook! ? #ENGvIND #CookRetires #ThankYouChef pic.twitter.com/OYxcGU1PnL

— ICC (@ICC) September 10, 2018

? #ThankYouChef#ENGvINDpic.twitter.com/H20vvEa4t1

— The Cricket Paper (@TheCricketPaper) September 10, 2018

A standing ovation for a special knock by a legendary player ?#ENGvIND #CookRetires #ThankYouChef pic.twitter.com/KE62rTRagT

— ICC (@ICC) September 10, 2018

I am part of this piece of history..dropped cookie in his 90s on his debut…now here he is ?.. what a LEGEND pic.twitter.com/DkhITPocAR

— Harbhajan Turbanator (@harbhajan_singh) September 10, 2018

? in his final Test innings ✅
5th highest run-getter in Tests ✅

Alastair Cook serves up a memorable last outing! ? #ENGvIND #CookRetires #ThankYouChef ?‍? pic.twitter.com/nDV5foAPtM

— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) September 10, 2018

Alastair Cook has played 160 Tests & just 92 ODIs. He is a Test cricketer to the core. No wonder England love him so much.?

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) September 10, 2018

? March 2006:

??????? Alastair Cook scores his first century for @EnglandCricket on his test debut.

? September 2018:

??????? Alastair Cook scores his 33rd test century for @EnglandCricket in his final ever test match.

? What. A. Story. pic.twitter.com/sz6h02NaC9

— SPORF (@Sporf) September 10, 2018

A century in your last innings. And an ovation that looked like it would never end. It was, as Joe Root said, "written in the stars". What a moment for the mighty Alastair Cook.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 10, 2018

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

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.