Join us from 10:30 BST tomorrow as England look to take seven wickets to secure a 4-1 series win over India.
Post update
Number 564 for James Anderson was not to be today. He'll be back tomorrow.
But this most astonishing of days did have one last thrilling moment to go...
Stuart Broad dismissing Virat Kohli for a golden duck. Oh my.
Post update
And three balls later he had pulled level with McGrath on 563 Test wickets...
Post update
England had about an hour and 10 minutes to bowl at India in the evening session.
James Anderson needed three wickets to surpass Glenn McGrath for most Test scalps by a fast bowlers.
He took nine balls to get one of those...
Post update
But a fine batting performance, including Ben Stokes' entertaining 37, helped England reached 423-8 declared, setting India a highly improbable 464 for victory.
Post update
Joe Root then fell the ball before Alastair Cook in search of quick runs...
As did others...
Get Involved
#bbccricket
Harry: I want to take this moment to declare my undying love for Alastair Cook. England's greatest batsman of all time and the 5th highest run scoring Test batsman ever. Dignified, humble, classy, and good humoured to the end: what a man.
Ryan: What a day for English cricket. That would have been some occasion at the The Oval today!
Post update
And Root made the most of that reprieve, completing a superb 14th Test century as he and Cook batted India out of the game in dominant fashion...
Post update
Root was handed another life by India on 94 as Pujara spilled this chance...
Post update
Root made serene progress to 46 before he was shelled by Rahane at slip...
And soon enough he had his fifty...
...before starting to kick on towards three figures...
Post update
Just as Cook said in his post-match interview - England captain Joe Root did score a superb century of his own today.
This is how he started the morning...
Post update
Yet just when thoughts started to turn to Cook signing off with a double hundred, the great man was out, edging behind off the part-time off-spin of Hanuma Vihari.
A maximum break of 147 to end his 12-year career and send him above Kumar Sangakkara into fifth in the all-time Test run-scorer list, also making Cook the highest left-hander in the rankings.
A flourish of the bat and purposeful stride off as The Oval rose once more...
Post update
As one reader quipped - Alastair Cook's mentor Graham Gooch was watching on somewhere perhaps telling him to "make it a daddy hundred" while blubbing away.
And Cook was certainly not done yet...
Post update
Then finally the moment.
Of all the ways to reach his 33rd and final Test century, Alastair Cook did it thanks to overthrows.
Both he and the crowd afforded a laugh after all the tension of the morning.
A rapturous reception that went on and on as Cook celebrated a dream end to his sublime career...
Post update
The crowd fell silent every time Alastair Cook was facing.
Every run was met with warm applause, the boundaries met with a whoop as England fans let out their nervous tension.
Only to of course fall back into silence shortly after.
Post update
Cook resumed on 46 not out and the first step was to reach fifty and secure a career average of at least 45.00.
He of course accomplished that with a flick off his hips for four...
Post update
Alastair Cook is far more comfortable facing 90mph fast bowlers than being the sole focus of everyone's attention.
But he's had to get used to being in the spotlight this week. The Oval crowd greeted him with yet another standing ovation at the start of day four...
Post update
Alastair Cook says he would like to watch today back.
So why don't we? Highlights from a remarkable day to follow...
Post update
BBC Test Match Special
England's Alastair Cook to TMS: "It was an unbelievable way to end. It was strange week but I was just determined not to get out early because it would have been an anti-climax, but to go out like that is the prefect way to end. I don't think it was any doubt I could still play but I certainly found the last 12-18 months harder.
"My greatest skill is to be able to take a lot of emotion out of my batting and to be able to take one ball at a time, and if there has ever been a test of that, it has been this week. To perform like that probably just shows my greatest strength.
Asked about how he feels, Cook said: "I can't really describe how I feel. I want to go back and watch it now to see how special it is."
On James Anderson's bowling milestone: "I have been there for a fair few of Jimmy's milestones but to do it together tomorrow would be special."
Live Reporting
Jack Skelton
All times stated are UK
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Latest PostPost update
I'll leave you with these.
Watch them, cherish them - this is the story of Alastair Nathan Cook's final day of batting in Test cricket.
Farewell.
Post update
That's nearly it for this live text. Thank you for reading, it has been a total pleasure today.
Amy Lofthouse's report of day four is here.
The story of how Alastair Cook reached his century in his final Test is here.
The scorecard is here.
And the Test Match Special podcast is here.
Join us from 10:30 BST tomorrow as England look to take seven wickets to secure a 4-1 series win over India.
Post update
Number 564 for James Anderson was not to be today. He'll be back tomorrow.
But this most astonishing of days did have one last thrilling moment to go...
Stuart Broad dismissing Virat Kohli for a golden duck. Oh my.
Post update
And three balls later he had pulled level with McGrath on 563 Test wickets...
Post update
England had about an hour and 10 minutes to bowl at India in the evening session.
James Anderson needed three wickets to surpass Glenn McGrath for most Test scalps by a fast bowlers.
He took nine balls to get one of those...
Post update
But a fine batting performance, including Ben Stokes' entertaining 37, helped England reached 423-8 declared, setting India a highly improbable 464 for victory.
Post update
Joe Root then fell the ball before Alastair Cook in search of quick runs...
As did others...
Get Involved
#bbccricket
Harry: I want to take this moment to declare my undying love for Alastair Cook. England's greatest batsman of all time and the 5th highest run scoring Test batsman ever. Dignified, humble, classy, and good humoured to the end: what a man.
Ryan: What a day for English cricket. That would have been some occasion at the The Oval today!
Post update
And Root made the most of that reprieve, completing a superb 14th Test century as he and Cook batted India out of the game in dominant fashion...
Post update
Root was handed another life by India on 94 as Pujara spilled this chance...
Post update
Root made serene progress to 46 before he was shelled by Rahane at slip...
And soon enough he had his fifty...
...before starting to kick on towards three figures...
Post update
Just as Cook said in his post-match interview - England captain Joe Root did score a superb century of his own today.
This is how he started the morning...
Post update
Yet just when thoughts started to turn to Cook signing off with a double hundred, the great man was out, edging behind off the part-time off-spin of Hanuma Vihari.
A maximum break of 147 to end his 12-year career and send him above Kumar Sangakkara into fifth in the all-time Test run-scorer list, also making Cook the highest left-hander in the rankings.
A flourish of the bat and purposeful stride off as The Oval rose once more...
Post update
As one reader quipped - Alastair Cook's mentor Graham Gooch was watching on somewhere perhaps telling him to "make it a daddy hundred" while blubbing away.
And Cook was certainly not done yet...
Post update
Then finally the moment.
Of all the ways to reach his 33rd and final Test century, Alastair Cook did it thanks to overthrows.
Both he and the crowd afforded a laugh after all the tension of the morning.
A rapturous reception that went on and on as Cook celebrated a dream end to his sublime career...
Post update
The crowd fell silent every time Alastair Cook was facing.
Every run was met with warm applause, the boundaries met with a whoop as England fans let out their nervous tension.
Only to of course fall back into silence shortly after.
Post update
Cook resumed on 46 not out and the first step was to reach fifty and secure a career average of at least 45.00.
He of course accomplished that with a flick off his hips for four...
Post update
Alastair Cook is far more comfortable facing 90mph fast bowlers than being the sole focus of everyone's attention.
But he's had to get used to being in the spotlight this week. The Oval crowd greeted him with yet another standing ovation at the start of day four...
Post update
Alastair Cook says he would like to watch today back.
So why don't we? Highlights from a remarkable day to follow...
Post update
BBC Test Match Special
England's Alastair Cook to TMS: "It was an unbelievable way to end. It was strange week but I was just determined not to get out early because it would have been an anti-climax, but to go out like that is the prefect way to end. I don't think it was any doubt I could still play but I certainly found the last 12-18 months harder.
"My greatest skill is to be able to take a lot of emotion out of my batting and to be able to take one ball at a time, and if there has ever been a test of that, it has been this week. To perform like that probably just shows my greatest strength.
Asked about how he feels, Cook said: "I can't really describe how I feel. I want to go back and watch it now to see how special it is."
On James Anderson's bowling milestone: "I have been there for a fair few of Jimmy's milestones but to do it together tomorrow would be special."