Alastair Cook to retire after the fifth Test against India

England and India have battled through the ongoing five-match Test series and the close contest has been won by the home side with one match to go. The batsmen from both the sides have been under immense pressure throughout the series. But one man who has been under constant scanner has been Alastair Cook. His poor form extended against India as well which might be the reason he has decided to call it quits from international cricket.

Cook has been playing the game for last 12 years and made his name as an opener. He was also the captain of England after the retirement of Andrew Strauss and led them extremely well. The highlight of his captaincy stint and possibly the career was the historic Test series win against India in their home soil in 2012. He was the highest run-getter of that series with 562 runs in eight innings at an amazing average of 80.29.

Not-so flamboyant, but a superb batsman, Cook has played 160 Test matches so far for his country and has amassed 12254 runs in his illustrious career. He has hit 32 centuries and 56 half-centuries so far and would definitely like to end his career on a high with a significant score in the last Test in London. He was also a very good limited-overs format batsman and went on to play 92 ODIs scoring 3604 runs at an average of 36. But since 2014, he never featured in the coloured clothing for England or one can say, he was never considered by the selectors.

Cook’s grim form in the series

In the ongoing Test series, the Indian bowlers had got his number. He used to get starts but never kicked on and posted a significant score. Alastair Cook has only mustered 109 runs in seven innings in this series and has only a half-century to show this home summer. Even in the Ashes last year, he only scored a double-century in Melbourne but had nothing to offer apart from that knock in the five-match series.

His barren run with the bat was extending and finally, the veteran has decided to hang his boots at the age of 33 according to BBC. The news of his retirement was doing the rounds ever since it was revealed that the England and Wales Cricket Board were set to make a major announcement and it turned true eventually.

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