Alastair Cook walks off 'one last time' from the batting pitch

Emotions got the better of English captain Joe Root as well.

Published - 11 Sept 2018, 11:59 IST | Updated - 11 Sept 2018, 11:59 IST

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Alastair Cook was motoring along at the score of 147, though he scored a strike-rate of a tad over 50- it was enough to keep India under the pump. England were in a commanding position and with a lead of 361 runs and seven wickets in hand, they contemplated stepping on the gas. The visiting team on the other end found themselves short of ideas and handed Hanuma Vihari the leather.

While the mainstream bowlers couldn’t make inroads, nothing much was expected of the part-time off-break bowler. However, he turned out to be India’s man with the golden arm. After getting rid of skipper Joe Root, he pinned the English opener, albeit the delivery didn’t deserve a wicket. Cook tried to cut a short and wide delivery, but the ball bounced a tad more than he expected.

Cook walks back one final time

Subsequently, the bat’s outside edge was found and Rishabh Pant, who had a horror run behind the wickets since his debut, took a sharp catch. Immediately after, the Gloucester-born cricketer’s head went down, trying to accept the fact that he won’t ever be batting in English colours. The umpire raised the finger, which was more of a formality as Pant threw the ball in jubilation.

The epic walk-balk began thereafter. The Indian players swarmed him and shook hands with the legendary cricketer. The entire crowd at the Kennington Oval gave him a standing ovation as he raised his bat and acknowledged the crowd for lending him support for 12 long years ever since his international debut for the Three Lions back in 2006 against the same opposition.

Even Cook’s wife Alice Hunt couldn’t stop applauding for his better half. Moreover, she asked her daughter to look at her father going back. Emotions got the better of Joe Root as well as he broke into tears as his teammate entered the dressing room. The throng by the staircase to the dressing room also didn’t miss out on the chance of clicking the 33-year-old.