Top 5 Most Emotional Farewell Matches In Cricket

Well, it’s an extremely overwhelming experience for the fans to witness their favorite cricketers play the last innings. The farewell matches are always emotional as they mark an end to the era of a cricketer’s dominance on the field. From pathbreaking triumphs to glorious career highlights, a farewell match is undoubtedly one of the most decorated moments of a cricketer’s journey. A few cricketers, including Greg Chappell, Alastair Cook, Murray Goodwin and many others have been able to put an end to their glorious cricketing career with a roaring century solidifying their legacy in the annals of international cricket. 

In this article we will take a look at the top five farewell matches that left the fans emotional. 

Top 5 Most Emotional Farewell Matches in Cricket

Sachin Tendulkar’s 200th Test Match 

The legendary Indian former international cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, often hailed as the “God of Cricket”, played his 200th and final international cricket test match against West Indies in 2013 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. India ended up defeating the West Indies and sealed the series with a formidable 2-0 and Sachin Tendulkar’s stellar innings of 74* runs played a crucial role in leading India to the glorious victory. Right after the match, Tendulkar officially concluded his 24-year-long cricket career and gave an emotional farewell speech that resonated with the millions of fans around the world and left them in tears. 

Alastair Cook’s Final Century 

England’s highest and most dependable run-scorer in the test format, Alastair Cook played his career’s last test match against India in 2018 at The Oval in London. Alastair Cook, after witnessing a star-studded career that spanned over twelve years, proved his mettle yet again in his career’s final innings and knocked a memorable century. Alastair Cook’s century that came off during his second innings against India was commemorated by his fans with applause and a standing ovation. With his remarkable century, Alastair Cook became the fifth-highest run scorer for England in the test format with a total of 12,472* runs. 

Shane Warne’s Ultimate Ashes Series 

One of the greatest cricketers of all-time to ever represent Australia in international cricket, the late legendary former Australian cricketer Shane Warne concluded his fifteen-year-long international cricketing career with an extremely successful stint in the 2007 Ashes Series. Shane Warne picked up a total of twenty-three wickets and ended the 2007 Ashes Series with a formidable bowling figure of 5/39. In addition to being his career’s final test series, the 2006-07 Ashes Series also witnessed Shane Warne become the first ever cricketer to surpass the milestone of 700 wickets in the history of test cricket. 

Glenn McGrath Fairy-Tale Ending 

Another legendary Australian international cricketer, Glenn McGrath, who proved to be a cornerstone behind Australia’s dominance in international cricket from the mid-1990s to the late 2000s, concluded his glorious cricketing career in 2007 after successfully leading the Aussies to a path-breaking triumph in the 2007 ICC World Cup Final against Sri Lanka. Glenn McGrath was awarded with the coveted “Player of the Tournament” award for his consistent and match-winning performances throughout the tournament. 

Jacques Kallis’ Emotional Sent Off 

Often hailed as one of the greatest and most lethal all-rounders in the history of international cricket, the South African former international cricketer, Jacques Kallis played his career’s last test match against India at, Kingmead, Durban in 2014. Jacques Kallis had already announced his decision to bid adieu to test cricket after the 2014 test series against India. The third test match of the series marked an end to Kallis’ glorious test cricketing career that lasted for almost two decades. Jacques Kallis scored a sensational total of 115* runs in his final test knock against India. The moment Jacques Kallis walked towards the pavilion after scoring his 45th test century, he was applauded by the fans, his teammates and opponents with a massive display of respect and enthusiasm. 

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