4 legends who retired on a high against India

When Sachin Tendulkar edged Narsingh Deonarine into the large waiting hands of Darren Sammy on a November morning at the Wankhede, he had to walk back to the pavilion, one last time, 26 runs short of a fairytale ending. His team, India, though has been known to hand out quite a few of these fairy tale endings to modern legends off late. Here is a look at four legends who rolled back the clock in the last Test of their careers, against India.

---

#1 Alastair Cook 71 & 147, The Oval, 2018

Starting with the most recent, we have England's all-time highest run scorer Alastair Cook, or as the Barmy Army refers to him, Ally Ally Cook!

Cook came into the final Test of the five-match series and his career with no score of 50 or more in any of his last eight innings. A failure to register a half-century in either innings of this Test would have meant he would have equalled the worst fifty-less run of 10 innings of his career.

Instead, Alastair Cook put his head down, took out a time turner - presumably borrowed from JK Rowling, and scored a half-century and a century in the Test, exactly like he had in his debut Test 12 years back, against the same opponents! As Alastair Cook later said, it was a week you couldn't have scripted!

#2 Jacques Kallis 115, Durban, 2013

Jacques Kallis received a King's farewell at Kingsmead.

After England's all-time highest run scorer comes South Africa's all-time highest run scorer, Jacques Kallis. Like Cook, Kallis too had experienced a torrid time with the bat in hand, leading up to his final Test. His last 10 innings had yielded just 134 runs, and he had even fallen to a first-ball duck only in the previous Test.

But, in his final Test, needing 115 to go past India's own Rahul Dravid on the all-time leading run scorer's list, Jacques Kallis brought out his all too famous patience and grit. The burly African batted for more than six and a half hours, facing a marathon 316 balls, and only fell when he had reached 115 and gone past Dravid.

#3 Muttiah Muralitharan, 5/63 & 3/109, Galle, 2010

Murali touched the magical number of 800 in his last Test

Muralitharan entered his last Test match with 792 wickets, needing eight more to become the first bowler to 800 Test Wickets. Once the batsmen had pounded the Indian attack into submission, the stage looked all set for Murali, and the wizard sprinted up the steps of the stage, scalping five wickets in the first innings.

Asked to follow on, the Indian batsman applied themselves much better against the smiling assassin. When VVS Laxman was run out, Murali's career tally stood at 799 with only one Indian wicket standing. As Ishant Sharma and Pragyan Ojha dug in and played out over after over, it looked like Murali would have to settle for an imperfect record just like Don Bradman's 99.94.

However, the magic ball did arrive, midway into Murali's 44th over, after 91 balls of stubborn resistance by India's last pair. A tossed up ball outside off drew a forward defensive lunge from Ojha, kissed the edge of his blade, and settled into the safe hands of Mahela Jayawardene at first slip. Sri Lanka had their last man, and Murali had his 800th!

#4 Steve Waugh, 40 & 80, Sydney, 2004

Steve Waugh ended his career with a fine 80

During his final Test innings, Steve Waugh was said to have reminded Parthiv that he was in his nappies when Waugh made his debut. He wasn't wrong. Waugh entered the 168th and final Test of his 18-year-career with the series against India tied 1-1. India dominated the Test with Tendulkar scoring a then career-high 241* and VVS Laxman contributing 178. Australia headed into the final day needing 433 to win, with India needing 10 wickets.

By the time Waugh walked in to bat one final time in front of a vociferous home crowd, Australia had lost three men and still had a half day to go through. Not much later, they would lose a fourth. However, the iceman joined hands with Simon Katich and grafted Australia to safety, denying India a historic series win in Australia.

Despite stroking 15 shots to the fence, Waugh made only 80 off 179, displaying ample amount of patience and calm that had become the hallmarks of his batting. By the time he departed, 20 runs short of a 33rd Test Hundred, to a tumultuous applause, the game had long been saved.