India vs England: Timeless James Anderson deserves immense credit for his longevity

Follow us on

Even when the chips were down, most fans in India would have backed Virat Kohli's men to at least pull off a draw in Chennai on the final day of the first Test against England. A majority of Tests in the sub-continent follow a customary pattern -- hover around the first four days before coming to a conclusion all at once on the fifth day. That's what happened on Tuesday when a 38-year-old James Anderson -- initially lost amid England's spectacle and skipper Joe Root's dominance with the bat -- haunted the Indian batting unit with his reverse swing masterclass.

After going wicketless in the first 15 overs of the first innings and eventually cleaning up the tail, Anderson worked his magic in the second innings, making an in-form Shubman Gill's timber go for a cartwheel with a peach of a delivery. With Jack Leach pulling the strings from one end, India were 92/2, having lost a dodgy Rohit Sharma on the previous day. Anderson joined the pack by putting his experience into use and running through Gill's defence. The ball sneaked through the young lad's bat and pad, enough to give Anderson a cue for his next prey.

Anderson struck again in the same over by bowling a clueless Ajinkya Rahane as his off-stump went for a walk. Despite the odds not being in India's favour since the first day of the Test, Indian fans were on the edge of their seats, seeing a glimmer of hope after Rishabh Pant's arrival. Not so long ago, Pant's 91 was crucial in India breaching Australia's Gabba fortress. However, Anderson struck again by dismissing Pant, having him caught by skipper Joe Root at short cover and hitting the final nail in the coffin. Though skipper Virat Kohli was in the middle, the wickets kept tumbling at the other end, with India being bowled out for 192 and losing the first match of the four-match Test series by 227 runs. 

Anderson, when it mattered, took the foreground and finished with figures of 3/17 in 11 overs. In just four deliveries, the veteran shrivelled India with two almost identical deliveries against Gill and Rahane. Ageing like a fine wine, Anderson has been at his absolute best in 2021. In 58.5 overs bowled against Sri Lanka and India, he has picked 11 wickets at a filthy average of 9.90 and an economy of 1.85, shushing 'he can't bowl outside England' comments. This was also the third time when Jimmy bowled two batsmen in the same over, with the first being in his debut Test against Zimbabwe (2003) and second against South Africa (2017).

"I was thinking to get him lbw or maybe caught mid-wicket. But it was nice to see his stumps go cartwheeling – that doesn’t happen very often at my age," said Anderson, who has averaged 17.8 in overseas Test matches since the start of 2019. 

Root also hailed Anderson as the 'greatest of all time' and added that 'Jimmy' changed the dynamic of the day with his 'unbelievable' skill and accuracy with the cherry. "When reverse swing came into it, the skill level and accuracy of Jimmy was always going to be very potent. To deliver a spell like that, it really changed the dynamic of the day," said the England skipper.

Amid all the praise and adoration, a question that instantly pops up is -- Should Anderson have won the ICC Test Player of the Decade award; given that consistency, longevity and Anderson go hand in hand. Steve Smith, having established himself as one of the best Test batsmen since Don Bradman, pipped Anderson for the accolade, making one think whether the game has shifted in the favour of batsmen. In 69 Tests during the period taken into consideration for the award, Smith scored 7040 runs at an impressive average of 65.79, laced with 26 centuries.

Related Stories

IND vs ENG: Jamaican sprint star Yohan Blake in awe of Virat Kohli's no-excuse captaincy

IND vs ENG: Joe Root will probably break all batting records of England, says Nasser Hussain

ICC Test Rankings: Kohli down to fifth as Root moves up to third after Chennai double ton

While Anderson, in the past decade, took 429 wickets while boasting a bowling average of 24.35 and a strike rate of 54.9. From rattling the woodwork of legendary Sachin Tendulkar in 2012-13 and troubling Kohli in 2014 to rushing through the gates of a young Gill in 2021 and instantly shifting the momentum in his side's favour -- that's second nature to Anderson now. 

Since the start of 2014, Anderson has picked up 271 wickets including 15 fifers and an average of 21.32, which is more than any other bowler (min 50 wickets) in that particular period of time. After turning 30, it's been all onwards and upwards for Anderson. He has picked up 343 wickets after crossing 30, more than any other fast bowler in the longest format of the game. 

'Only delivering under clouds' has been a common criticism for Anderson, whose record away from home differs significantly in other conditions. However, the pacer, unbelievable under the clouds, has been able to shun away critics, pulling a rabbit of the hat even at the age of 38 when most seamers would've already bid adieu to the sport. After England's comprehensive 227-run victory, the funny thing is that a recovering Anderson won't necessarily be in the team's scheme of things, with another red-ball maestro Stuart Broad waiting in the wings. 

"But I'm very aware we've got four Test matches in quick succession here and there will be a need to rest and rotate. I'm not presuming anything. I'll try and rest and recover from this game as best I can in the next day or two and get back in the nets and try and put my name in the hat for Saturday," said a 38-year-old Anderson, keen to play as frequently as he possibly can, showing no signs of ageing.