England´s Cook out for 71 in final Test against India

LONDON: Alastair Cook was dismissed for 71 in his final international match on Friday, with a capacity crowd at the Oval rising to their feet to salute England´s record Test runscorer.

Cook -- who is likely to have one more chance to bat in the second innings of the fifth Test against India -- played on shortly after tea, ending his bid for a 33rd Test hundred.

The opener walked out to bat at the start of play through a guard of honour from the tourists and was given a sustained standing ovation from the crowd as he made his way to the wicket.

On a sun-drenched late summer morning in London the former England skipper, playing in his 161st and final Test, put on 60 for the first wicket with Keaton Jennings before his partner was dismissed.

Cook, 33, who has struggled for runs this year, was dropped in the gully by Ajinkya Rahane off Ishant Sharma soon after the lunch break when on 37.

He reached his half-century with two runs down the ground, which again brought the crowd to their feet.

But with Cook looking set, Jasprit Bumrah induced an inside edge and the ball ricocheted onto the batsman´s stumps.

The Essex opener, with a previous highest score of 29 in the series, scored his 71 runs from 190 balls, with eight boundaries.

Cook scored a hundred on his Test debut, against India at Nagpur in 2006, and Virat Kohli, the current India captain, said at the toss: "We have seen too much of him sometimes.

"He has been a great player for England. What he has done as an opener has been outstanding and he will go down as one of the greatest openers to have played the game."

England have already won the five-match series after taking an unassailable 3-1 lead.