VIDEO | Alastair Cook walks back to pavilion for one final time with Indian players congratulating him

After a huge stand of 259 runs for the second wicket, Hanuma Vihari got rid of the English skipper Joe Root on the previous ball and all eyes were on Alastair Cook who was inching closer to his 150 in his last international innings. But, destiny had something else in store as on the very next ball, Cook edged one into the Rishabh Pant's gloves and departed back into the hut.

Cook rolled the clock back after playing some magnificent shots all around the park at The Oval. His 147-run knock was studded with 14 boundaries and his dismissal was not what the romanticists would discuss to death. Vihari's ball pitched outside off and kept low, he tried to cut but a faint tickle went into Pant's gloves. On another day, it would have crossed the boundary for a four. 

However, that was not the time to analyse what could have been rather it was the time for a celebration of one of the greatest career that Test cricket has ever seen and to bid goodbye to the last pure Test batsman in a generation filled with limited-overs superstars. And India certainly had a heart-touching farewell in line as the former England skipper was congratulated by one and all at the ground. 

Vihari, who picked up the only second international wicket, didn't celebrate and straightway went to Cook and shook hands. Other Indian players including skipper Virat Kohli also bid adieu to the Essex man, who had given so much back to the sport. Cook bowed out smiling and lifting his bat for the standing ovation and huge cheer from the crowd at The Oval that for sometime, seemed like would never end. 

Thank you, Chef. You deserved every bit of it.