161 Tests, 12,472 runs, 33 hundreds, 57 fifties and a top score of 294. This week Alastair Cook, 12 years after his Test debut at the age of just 21, stepped out into the test arena for the last time. With a career which has spanned over a decade, Cook’s figures really do speak for themselves when discussing the opener’s success.
Alastair Cook in 2014 - Image credited to Kroome111
Ever since his debut in Nagpur where he hit his first international century it has been evident that Cook’s career was going to be more extraordinary than most. That was the international circuit's first glimpse at Cook’s talent something that he would continue to display and develop at home and abroad for over a decade. Cook’s talent is perhaps only eclipsed by his sheer hard-work and his dedication to his own fitness, noted by colleagues as someone always eager to improve and never content, no matter what type of form he is in. The longevity of Cook’s career is unparalleled, playing in 159 consecutive tests, he eclipsed Alan Border’s record by six tests any other test player by over fifty, standing testament to not only his abilities but also his overall fitness. The way in which players from across the spectrum, back-room staff and the media have reacted to his retirement and career speaks volumes about Cook as both a man and a player.
England owe Alastair Cook a great debt. The way he has gone about his business on the field has been exemplary, and his career is one to admire for generations to come. England’s greatest ever run scorer, a fete only achievable because of his aforementioned dedication and, perhaps even more essentially, his mental toughness. Cook has been able to overcome obstacles and criticisms throughout the years to achieve some of the greatest innings in an England shirt. For the majority of England fans it will be his role in the 2010-11 Ashes series in Australia that is looked back upon with the most fondness, hitting a mammoth 766 runs at an average of an incredible 127.66. His career has been a series of records and achievements that are too long to list, but alongside Cook's phenomenal Ashes series down under, it was his fairytale ending at The Oval that will also live long in the memory. Following a difficult period with the bat over the past few months, cricket fans were hoping that Cook would be able to go out with a proper send-off at The Oval, but after falling agonisingly short in the first innings time was running out (as outlined in The Cricket Blog's article). The applause and ovation Cook received as the ball flew to the boundary for five-runs, leading him to his final test century, in his final test innings and book-ending his international career was deafening and summarised the overwhelming joy for a man who has given the international game his all. It was the most fitting tribute to a quite splendid career.
With the announcement that Cook has decided to hang up his England whites for good, selectors are left with an incredibly difficult decision as to who will open the batting for England this winter and with question marks still residing over Keaton Jennings, it will be interesting to see whether England opt for two new openers or just the one. Undoubtedly the opening partnership is one of the most crucial aspects of international test cricket and is one of the factors that can elevate a team from good to world class. England have been at their best when Alastair Cook has been firing on all cylinders, his partnership with Andrew Strauss being a particularly successful period for England. A strong opening partnership to get the innings off to a solid start instills a confidence in the lower order that can make for an innings that takes a test match away from the opposition. However, ever since Andrew Strauss announced his retirement in 2012, England have struggled to find the answer to their most pressing question and one which seems to get ever more complicated. Men have come and gone, with varying averages and for different lengths of time. There has been no permanent solution to the question and that is something that they will be looking to resolve this winter as a new era for England's opening pair begins.