Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Cook exit in final Test sparks England collapse

Alastair Cook marked his final Test appearance with a fifty before India's Jasprit Bumrah sparked an England collapse at the Oval on Friday.

England only lost one wicket before tea and were making steady, if slow, progress at 131 for one on the first day of the fifth Test.


But Cook's exit for 71 sparked a slump that saw six wickets lost for 48 runs, with England captain Joe Root, Jonny Bairstow and Sam Curran all out for noughts.

At stumps, England were 198 for seven, with Ishant Sharma taking three for 28 in a miserly 22 overs and fellow paceman Bumrah two for 41 in 21 that included two wickets in four balls.

Cook, England's all-time record Test run-scorer, was making his final appearance at this level before international retirement.

The 33-year-old left-handed opener, who will continue to play for Essex, came into this match having scored 12,254 Test runs at an average of 44.88 including 32 hundreds.

But he has struggled for runs lately, with his previous best score this series the 29 he made during India's 203-run win in the third Test at Trent Bridge.

"The guard of honour was such a nice gesture but you're focused on batting and you don't have time to appreciate it," Cook told Sky Sports.

"The reception I got was fantastic. it went on a bit and that makes you even more determined not to get out."

"There is nothing worse than going out without contributing. I am pleased to get a score and disappointed to get out when I did."

Cook, extending his England appearance record to 161 Tests, was thrust straight into the action when Root, his successor as England captain, opted to bat first after winning the toss on a sunny day.

England had already won this five-match series after a 60-run victory at Southampton gave them a 3-1 lead.

Cook, who walked out to a guard of honour from India, struck two trademark boundaries off successive Bumrah balls -- a square-cut and a pull.

The under-pressure Keaton Jennings made 23 in an opening partnership of 60 with Cook before he carelessly turned left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja to KL Rahul at leg-slip.

England were 68 for one at lunch, with Cook 37 not out and Moeen Ali -- one of an all left-handed top three -- two not out.

Both batsmen were then dropped on their interval scores.

Cook was missed by Ajinkya Rahane in the gully off Sharma and India captain Virat Kohli floored a far more difficult chance at third slip after Mooen flashed hard at Bumrah.

Luckless paceman Mohammed Shami repeatedly beat the outside edge without reward.

"It was an unbelievable spell from Mohammed Shami," said Cook, who completed a 139-ball fifty, including six boundaries, with a capacity crowd giving him another standing ovation.

Remarkably,it was the first fifty by an opening batsman on either side in this series.

Cook scored a century on his Test debut, against India at Nagpur in 2006.

But his hopes of becoming just the fifth player to score a hundred in both their first and last Tests would have to wait until England's second innings.

- 'Bad shot' -

Cook's typically patient vigil of more than four hours ended when, playing defensively, he inside-edged Bumrah onto his stumps to end a 190-ball innings including eight fours before walking off to a third ovation of the day.

"Whether it kept a bit lower than your subconscious brain thought, whether I could have got forward –- I don’t know," said Cook.

"But it was disappointing. It was a bad shot."

Root may have been batting in his favoured position of number four, but three balls later he was lbw to Bumrah when playing across the line.

Bairstow then fell for his third duck in four innings when he jabbed at a Sharma delivery to give wicket-keeper Rishabh Pant a simple catch.

England had now lost three wickets for one run in nine balls.

Jadeja, playing his first match this series, in place of injured off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, then had Ben Stokes lbw for 11.

Moeen, batting in England's longstanding problem position of number three, completed a 167-ball half-century only to fall for exactly 50 when caught behind hanging his bat out against Sharma.

Curran had revived England from the depths of 86 for six in their first innings at Southampton but, on his Surrey home ground, he was caught behind second ball off Sharma.

More For You

raj kundra

Raj Kundra names Bipasha Basu and Neha Dhupia in £5.6m Bollywood fraud probe

Getty Images

Raj Kundra tells Mumbai police £5.6m fraud funds went to Bipasha Basu and Neha Dhupia

Highlights:

  • Raj Kundra questioned in India for five hours over alleged £5.6m (₹60 crore) fraud
  • He claimed money was paid as fees to Bollywood stars Bipasha Basu and Neha Dhupia
  • Investigators traced nearly £2.3m (₹25 crore) in direct transfers to actresses and Balaji Entertainment
  • Shilpa Shetty also under scrutiny as financial probe widens

Businessman Raj Kundra, husband of Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty, has been questioned for nearly five hours by financial crime investigators in India in connection with an alleged £5.6 million (₹60 crore) fraud. During interrogation, Kundra reportedly said part of the disputed money was paid as professional fees to Bollywood actresses Bipasha Basu and Neha Dhupia. Authorities are now examining whether these transactions were legitimate or part of a larger scheme.

raj kundra Raj Kundra names Bipasha Basu and Neha Dhupia in £5.6m Bollywood fraud probe Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
India vs Pakistan

The PCB had complained to the ICC, alleging that Pycroft instructed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav at the toss in Sunday’s Asia Cup match.

Getty Images

ICC rejects PCB request to drop Pycroft from Asia Cup panel

THE International Cricket Council (ICC) has rejected Pakistan’s request to remove match referee Andy Pycroft from the Asia Cup. The decision came after the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) blamed the Zimbabwean official for the “no handshake” incident during their game against India and reportedly threatened to pull out of the tournament.

The PCB had complained to the ICC, alleging that Pycroft instructed Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha not to shake hands with Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav at the toss in Sunday’s Asia Cup match.

Keep ReadingShow less
World Curry Festival 2025

The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations

World Curry Festival

Bradford’s first curry house traced back to 1942 ahead of World Curry Festival

Highlights:

  • Research for the World Curry Festival uncovered evidence of a curry house in Bradford in 1942.
  • Cafe Nasim, later called The Bengal Restaurant, is thought to be the city’s first.
  • The discovery coincides with Bradford’s City of Culture celebrations.
  • Festival events will include theatre, lectures, and a street food market.

Historic discovery in Bradford’s food heritage

Bradford’s claim as the curry capital of Britain has gained new historical depth. Organisers of the World Curry Festival have uncovered evidence that the city’s first curry house opened in 1942.

Documents revealed that Cafe Nasim, later renamed The Bengal Restaurant, once stood on the site of the current Kashmir Restaurant on Morley Street. Researcher David Pendleton identified an advert for the cafe in the Yorkshire Observer dated December 1942, describing it as “Bradford’s First Indian Restaurant”.

Keep ReadingShow less
Robert Redford death

Robert Redford dies at 89 leaving behind a Hollywood and Sundance legacy

Getty Images

Robert Redford dies at 89 as tributes hail his fight for cinema freedom and environmental justice

Highlights

  • Robert Redford, Oscar-winning actor and director, dies at age 89 in Utah
  • Starred in classics including Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men
  • Founded the Sundance Institute, transforming the landscape of independent cinema
  • Advocated for environmental causes and used his fame to highlight pressing global issues

Robert Redford dies at 89, leaving behind a legacy that bridged blockbuster Hollywood hits and groundbreaking independent cinema. Best known for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men, Redford was not only a matinée idol but also an Academy Award-winning director and the driving force behind the Sundance Film Festival, which changed the trajectory of global filmmaking.

Robert Redford death Robert Redford dies at 89 leaving behind a Hollywood and Sundance legacy Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
UK–Africa business summit 2025

UK–Africa business summit 2025

UK–Africa business summit 2025 highlights trade, technology and resilient partnerships

Highlights:

  • Dr Sudhir Ruparelia emphasised Uganda’s growing real estate, agriculture and tourism sectors.
  • Lord Dolar Popat called for closer Commonwealth ties between Africa, the UK and India.
  • Uganda’s ministers outlined regional integration, investment climate and agricultural transformation.
  • Spiritual leader Sant Trilochan Darshan Das Ji urged ethical entrepreneurship rooted in integrity.

The 15th edition of the UK–Africa Business Summit took place on Friday, 12 September at The Royal Horseguards Hotel & One Whitehall Place, bringing together senior government leaders, entrepreneurs, investors and diaspora stakeholders to strengthen trade and investment ties between the UK and African nations.

Keep ReadingShow less