12 Years in 2 Mins: Celebrating Cook’s Record-Breaking Career

World’s highest-scoring opening batsman, Alastair Cook retires as English cricket history’s highest run-scorer.

Alastair Cook retired as English cricket history’s highest run-scorer.

(Photo: AP)

Video Editor: Sandeep Suman

After 12 years of breaking records, and leading England to historic wins at home and abroad, Alastair Cook is retiring from international cricket after the fifth and final Test against India at the Oval.

Here’s a look at highlights and records created by Cook during his career.

• World’s highest-scoring opening batsman – 11,845 runs in 278 innings
• English cricket history’s highest run-scorer, with 15,737 runs, and its most prolific century-maker with 38 tons
• Highest-scoring left-handed batsman in Test cricket and fifth highest overall with 12,472 runs
• At 21, Cook made his international debut against India in 2006. He scored 60 and 104 in his two innings at Nagpur
• In his final Test match, which was also his last international game, he scored 71 and 147 against India at the Oval
• Cook became only the fifth cricketer in the world to score centuries in his first and last Tests
• His highest Test score of 294, made in Birmingham in 2011, was also against India

• As captain, Cook led England to a 2-1 Test series win against India in 2012. This was their first in India in 28 years. The skipper finished as the team’s highest run-scorer with 562 runs, including three centuries
• Cook stepped down from Test captaincy after a 0-4 loss to India in 2016
• In 2010-11, Cook’s 766 runs in 7 innings had helped England register their first series win in Australia in 24 years. This Ashes win included an unbeaten 235-run knock by the opener
• In Asia, Cook holds the record for scoring the most runs by a visiting batsman. 2,710 runs in 28 matches, including 9 centuries, is no mean feat for an English opener