A relieved Alastair Cook was pleased to make a contribution in his farewell Test appearance for England after rolling back the years against India at the Oval.
The opening batsman was the centre of attention on the opening day of the fifth Test after announcing on Monday he will retire from international cricket at the conclusion of the series.
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Joe Root's decision to bat first allowed Cook an early opportunity to get out to the middle, though not before heading through a guard of honour from the visiting team and the on-field umpires.
He capitalised on the opportunity to make 71, with his hopes of a three-figure score on his farewell dashed first time around when he edged a Jasprit Bumrah delivery into his stumps.
England collapsed after the loss of their former captain too, losing six wickets for 48 runs in the final session to close on 198-7.
"There is nothing worse than going out without contributing, [you don't want] all the fuss during the week and then not delivering," Cook told Sky Sports.
"Everyone said: 'just enjoy it, it doesn't matter how many runs you get', but that’s never the case. There's never a game of cricket like that, though.
"I'm pleased I got a bit of a score, but disappointed to get out when I did.
"I don't really know why I missed it, to be honest. Whether it kept a bit lower than your subconscious brain thought, whether I could have got forward, I don't know. It was disappointing."
Cook - who will continue playing domestically with Essex after signing a new long-term deal with the reigning county champions - thanked India's players - and also the Oval crowd - for their appreciation prior to play starting.
"It all happened so quickly. It was such a nice gesture but you're just so focused on batting, it doesn't matter if it's your first game or not," the left-hander said.
"The reception I got was fantastic. It kind of went on a bit, which makes you even more determined not to get out."
As for the situation of the match, Cook made clear that while England had let slip a promising platform, their attack can prosper if conditions continue to favour the bowlers.
"Like every single game this series, you don't know what a good score is until both sides have batted," the 33-year-old added.
"It was obviously disappointing to lose six wickets in the last session. It was slow going at tea, but even at the end the ball was still doing enough."
