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That burden has now been laid to rest, leaving Cook with a final opportunity to produce a major Ashes innings, one to add to his 27 Test centuries, an England record.

Cook this week said he considered quitting as skipper during the first Test against the West Indies in April, shortly after being replaced as captain of the one-day side.

England’s all-time leading wicket taker missed the fourth Test with a side strain suffered during his team’s eight-wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston.

In his absence, England regained the Ashes – winning by an innings and 78 runs to take an unassailable 3-1 lead, with just The Oval to come.

It was a point acknowledged by England national selector James Whitaker who said Sunday that Anderson, who has replaced uncapped left-arm seamer Mark Footitt in the squad, would not be rushed back into the side.

Australian coach Darren Lehmann has brushed off a devastating Ashes series loss with an outing to Britannia Stadium to watch Stoke City against Liverpool in the English Premier League.

England captain Alastair Cook shakes hands with Australian skipper Michael Clarke after the fourth Ashes Test match following England’s series clinching victory at Trent Bridge on Saturday.

He will play the final Test at The Oval on August 20 before the curtain comes down on a distinguished career.

The England team celebrates as Mark Wood bowls out Australia’s Nathan Lyon to wrap up the fourth Test and seize the Ashes series at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on Saturday.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell called for a complete rethink of Australia’s domestic cricket system after the team’s crushing defeat in the ongoing Ashes series in England.

And he praised the leadership of Cook this summer as England have thrashed Australia to secure an unassailable 3-1 lead in the Investec Ashes Series with one Test still to come.

“He’s a good player”.

England are on the verge of winning The Ashes after Ben Stokes’ second Test five-wicket haul left the hosts just needing just four more wickets for victory after the second day at Trent Bridge.

At lunch, Australia were 14 without loss in their second innings – still 317 runs behind – as England eyed a win that would put them 3-1 up in the five-match series and see them regain the Ashes.

And Stokes is setting his sights on finishing matters with minimal fuss.