English pacer, Stuart Board was the most recent to end his glorious career on a high as he picked up the wicket of Australia’s Alex Carey
Stuart Broad brought the curtains down on his professional career with a fairytale finish at The Oval.
The English pacer picked up the wicket of Australia’s Alex Carey to end his glorious career on a high. Carey’s dismissal ensured England’s 49-run win in the final Ashes Test.
Broad grabbed four wickets in the fifth Test. The 37-year-old leaves the sport as the fifth-highest wicket-taker in Tests with 604 dismissals.
As Broad bows out in majestic style, it is time to take a look at cricketers who came up with a sublime performance in the final match of their career.
1. Sachin Tendulkar
The ‘Master Blaster’ bid adieu to international cricket in 2013 in front of his home in Mumbai. Sachin ended his international career on a sensational note, having played a solid knock of 74 against West Indies. Team India won the game by an innings and 126 runs.
2. Stuart Broad
Stuart Broad’s heroics with the ball guided England to a thrilling 49-run win against Australia in the final Ashes Test. Broad clinched a much-needed win for his side picking up the final wicket of Aussie wicketkeeper Alex Carey in a thrilling session to level the series 2-2.
3.Saeed Anwar
One of Pakistan’s most skilled batters, Saeed Anwar ended his Test career with a century against Bangladesh in August 2001. He pulled off a fine knock of 101 in his final Test innings. Anwar’s brilliance with the bat helped Pakistan in reaching a mammoth total of 546/3 (declared). Pakistan won that game convincingly by an innings and 264 runs. Known for his astute timing and perfect placement, Anwar was a destructive batter in ODIs as well. He scored a memorable knock of 194, then the world record, with 146 balls against India in 1997.
4. Steve Waugh
The former Australia skipper came up with a match-saving knock in his final Test appearance in January 2004 in Sydney. Chasing a target of 443, Waugh produced a splendid 80 runs. Waugh’s resilient performance was enough to avoid a defeat in the fourth Test, helping Australia to remain unbeaten in the series.
5. Alastair Cook
Alastair Cook was adjudged 'Man of the Match' in his final international appearance in September 2018. Cook scored 71 in the first innings of the fifth Test at The Oval against India. In the second innings, Cook brought up his 33rd Test hundred. England set a mammoth target of 464 and went on to claim a comprehensive 118-run victory in that game.
6. Muttiah Muralitharan
Quite like Stuart Broad, Muttiah Muralitharan ended his Test career with a wicket. The legendary Sri Lanka spinner picked up his record 800th wicket in July 2010 against India at Galle. His final Test wicket was Pragyan Ojha. Sri Lanka claimed a convincing 10-wicket victory in that game.
7. Andrew Flintoff
England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff registered a five-wicket haul in his final ODI appearance against West Indies in April 2009. Flintoff claimed the wicket of Sulieman Benn to seal England’s victory by 26 runs. He even won the Man of the Match.
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