Team India gives guard of honour to Alastair Cook

In a heartfelt gesture, the Indian team gave a guard of honour to former England captain Alastair when he walked out to open the batting for the last for England in the fifth Test match against India at The Oval.

Cook, England’s all-time highest run-scorer in Tests, received the warmest welcome from the capacity crowd at The Oval when he walked out to bat with partner Keaton Jennings after England decided to bat first in the final Test match of the series.

The entire Indian team, led by Virat Kohli was waiting for Cook a few meters away from the boundary line. Captain Kohli shook hands after Cook had walked past the applauding Indian players as an overjoyed Cook approached the batting craze.

Before the start of play, Cook was given his final Test cap by former England captain and current England and Wales Cricket Board chairman of selectors Andrew Strauss, under whom Cook has played the maximum no of Test matches.

Cook who had a below-par series scoring only 109 runs in four Test matches, announced his retirement after England won the series at Southampton with a 60-run victory over the visitors.

The 33-year-old Cook, who will call time on his career after playing 161 Tests, has so far scored 12,254 runs at an average of 44.88 with 32 hundreds and 56 half centuries. His highest Test score of 294 came against India at Birmingham during the 2011 series.