India vs England: Teary-eyed James Anderson pays tribute to ‘best friend’ Alastair Cook
Following the end of the Oval Test, Alastair Cook’s teammate James Anderson struggled to hold back tears when asked about the retirement of the opener.
England fast bowled James Anderson has paid rich tributes to Alastair Cook, who hung up his boots after the completion of the five-match series against India.
Cook was named the man of the match for his 71 and 147 as he helped England win the Oval Test by 118 runs and England clinched the series 4-1. The former England skipper also became only the fifth man in history to notch a century in his first and last Tests.
Following the end of the match, Cook’s teammate Anderson, struggled to hold back tears when asked about the retirement of the opener. Calling Cook as his ‘best mate’, Anderson said that the southpaw has always been there for him.
“He is my best mate and it’s been brilliant just to have him there for me all the time,” Anderson told Sky Sports, following the end of the Oval Test.
“It will take a while to sink in. Cookie retiring has been a big thing for me. I’m trying not to cry,” he told BBC.
The former England captain has ended an impressive career with the third-best ranking for a retiring England batsman after Wally Hammond (fifth) and Geoff Boycott (eighth). However, he has finished in a higher position than any of the batsmen who scored more runs than him in the pinnacle format. Jacques Kallis hung his boots in 12th position, Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid both ended their careers in 18th spot and Ricky Ponting finished in 26th place.
As for Anderson, he became the highest wicket-taking non-spinner following his five-wicket haul at the Oval. Anderson (564) is now ranked fourth in the list of highest wicket-takers in the world, only behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708) and Anil Kumble (619).