Alastair Cook, who scored 147 runs in his final innings and captain Joe Root, who also scored his first hundred in 12 months, put England in a great position on the fourth day of fifth and last Test against India at The Oval.
In morning England resumed on 114/2 and both Alastair Cook and Joe Root smashed the Indian bowlers all over the park and both completed their respective hundreds adding 259 runs for the 3rd wicket in the meantime.
England declared on 423/8 and set a huge target of 464 runs for India. In reply, India had a disastrous start and lost three wickets for just two runs including their savior on this tour Virat Kohli, who ended the Test series 7 runs shy of 600 runs.
KL Rahul and Ajinkya Rahane added 56 runs for the fourth wicket as India ended day four on 58/3, still needing 406 more runs to win the match on the final day.
All the major stats and facts from the fourth day of Fifth Test match between England and India at The Oval :
5 - Alastair Cook is the first English player and fifth overall to score a hundred in first as well as in the last Test of career.
Players to score a hundred in first and last Test of career -
Reggie Duff (Australia) - 104 & 146
Bill Ponsford (Australia) - 110 & 266
Greg Chappell (Australia) - 108 & 182
Mohammad Azharuddin (India) - 110 & 102
Alastair Cook (England) - 104* & 147
13 - Number of hundreds Alastair Cook scored in the third innings of a Test match - the most by any player in the world.
Most Test hundreds in the 3rd innings of a Test match -
Alastair Cook - 13
Kumar Sangakkara - 12
Matthew Hayden - 10
Jacques Kallis - 10
Sachin Tendulkar - 10
14 - KL Rahul took 14 catches in this series - the joint second most by a fielder in a Test series.
Most catches for a fielder in a Test series -
15 - Jack Gregory vs ENG, 1920/21
14 - Greg Chappell vs ENG, 1974/75
14 - KL Rahul vs ENG, 2018
15 - Number of times Alastair Cook scored hundreds in his second innings - the most by any player.
Most hundreds scored by a player in his 2nd innings-
Alastair Cook - 15
Kumar Sangakkara - 14
Sachin Tendulkar - 13
Younis Khan - 12
593 - Virat Kohli scored 593 runs at an average of 59.3 in this series - the second most runs for India in a Test series in England.
Most runs for India in a Test series in England -
602 - Rahul Dravid in 2002
593 - Virat Kohli in 2018
542 - Sunil Gavaskar in 1979
461 - Rahul Dravid in 2011
428 - Sachin Tendulkar in 1996
12472 - Alastair Cook finished with 12472 runs in Test cricket - the fifth most in the world. During his 147 runs knock he surpassed Kumar Sangakkara's tally of 12400 runs and also became the leading run scorer among the left-handed batsmen.
Most Test runs by left-handed batsmen in Test cricket -
Alastair Cook - 12472
Kumar Sangakkara - 12400
Brian Lara - 11953
Shivnarine Chanderpaul - 11867
