Alastair Cook named in final Test squad

England legend Alastair Cook yesterday announced that his 13-year Test career would be coming to an end at the conclusion of his side's ongoing series against India, and has been named in an England squad for the final time.

England sealed the series with a dramatic victory in the fourth Test at Southampton, leading 3-1 with a game to play. It had been speculated that with the game a dead rubber, England might experiment with an eye to this winter's tours of Sri Lanka and the Windies, but it is likely that England will name an unchanged side for the final Test.

The biggest questions leading up to the announcement was the make-up of England's top three. Keaton Jennings' place opening the batting has come under scrutiny, with the Lancashire batsman without a half-century in his last nine Tests. However, a second-innings 36 at Southampton hinted at a return to form

Captain Joe Root, England's No. 3 in recent times, has made it clear that his favoured position is at No. 4, where he chose to bat in the second innings at Southampton. In that innings, Moeen Ali came into bat at first drop, and he has a good record batting at that position for his county, Worcestershire, though England have mostly asked him to bat in the lower order in his Test career so far.

The other options are Surrey's Ollie Pope, who will play in the first two days of Surrey's ongoing Championship match against Essex, but who has never batted above No. 4 in first-class cricket, and even then only in two Tests for England, or one of England's many all-rounders.

**England squad:**Joe Root (c), Moeen Ali, Jimmy Anderson, Jonny Bairstow, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Alastair Cook, Sam Curran, Keaton Jennings, Ollie Pope, Adil Rashid, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes