James Anderson has said he ‘’absolutely loves’’ playing Test cricket and is already thinking about the Ashes Tour in Australia in 2021-22.
James Anderson has said he ‘’absolutely loves’’ playing Test cricket and is already thinking about the Ashes Tour in Australia in 2021-22.
James Anderson has said he ‘’absolutely loves’’ playing Test cricket and is already thinking about the Ashes Tour in Australia in 2021-22.
“I absolutely love [playing Test cricket],” he said in an interview. “There is no better feeling than putting the boots on, going out there and doing what I love doing.
“There has been hard work involved in developing those skills so I can go out there and bowl the way I do. I still get satisfaction from putting a hard shift in, putting 25 overs in a day.
“I still enjoy putting the yards in in the nets, making those tweaks with my technique to make sure I am in good shape going into Test matches. I still enjoy the stuff in the gym. I think that’s why I keep going.
“I have struggled a little bit for rhythm during the summer but I have felt great this week, as good as I have done for a number of years.
“Annoyingly it looks like we haven’t got another Test for months but hopefully I can keep ticking over and be fit enough to go whenever that next Test is.”
It had previously been mentioned that Anderson might have the option to act as England’s bowling coach for the overseas tours and this will allow him to continue his career.
Anderson however is still keen to act as a player even if that means he can’t play every game because other players are likely to get picked.
“With mine and Stuart [Broad’s] experience it is part of our job to pass down information where we can to younger bowlers – it’s a natural thing to do,” said Anderson.
“But I still think I can bowl in all conditions. I feel I am fit enough to keep playing and I don’t think it’s fair to other guys in the team if I just rock up in England when conditions suit and send them to India and Sri Lanka to do the hard yards!
“We have strength in depth and I realise there will be times I am left out for various reasons – resting, to have a look at someone else.
“I will have to be wise about which games I play and which I don’t, but that is something for the selectors, coach, captain and medical team to help me with.
“I will just try and keep my game at as high a level as possible and be ready for when I am called upon.
“It felt amazing [to get 600 wickets]. I went to bed last night not expecting to bowl a ball due to the forecast [for rain]. Even if I didn’t get it here there are worse numbers to be stuck on for a few months [than 599]!
“To play as much cricket as we have this summer is fantastic and a lot of credit must go to the people that have made this happen. It’s frustrating not having a crowd but we’d much rather be out there playing than not.”
Do you think Anderson has more value to add?
James Anderson reached new heights in the foothills of the Himalayas on Saturday morning, when he became the first bowler in history to take 700 Test wickets as his team played against India in Dharamsala.
In the fourth over of the third day, Anderson induced an inside edge from Kuldeep Yadav to ben fokes for 30 runs. This helped his team bowl out India for 477 and a lead of 259 runs after their first innings.
Among all test bowlers with three spinners, including Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Shane Warne (708), Anderson is only the third player to have struck this milestone.
Anderson holds a world record for appearances by any specialist bowler in tests having featured in 187 games since making his debut against Zimbabwe at Lords in May 2003, nearly two decades ago.
On Day Two of this Dharamsala Test Match, during lunchtime Anderson was on 698 wickets but soon moved to 699 when Gill got bowled through the gate for exactly 110 runs.
Alastair Cook, who used to be England’s Test captain before James took up that mantle himself, had high praise for him as an analyst at TNT Sports.
It’s an outstanding accomplishment,” Cook said after he had led Anderson in 49 out of his 49 Test appearances. “You wouldn’t believe what he is always ready to do to improve and get England winning games of cricket.” Almost 190 Test matches, which are a mockery at the age of nearly forty, and this mocking thing still has something to do with his skill only.
Anderson is just below Stuart Broad, England’s all-time leading wicket-taker among seamers who called it a day after the last Ashes in 2020 having taken 604 wickets.
In that game, held at The Oval in 2018, Anderson went past Glenn McGrath’s previous record for a Test seamer of 563 wickets when he dismissed India’s Mohammed Shami off the final delivery. This landmark was crossed by him while taking Pakistan batsman Azhar Ali down at Southampton in August last year.
Kuldeep was Anderson’s 149th scalp against India – the most he has ever collected against his fellow countrymen. Forty-four have arrived over seventeen Indian Tests at an average of thirty point two seven. He has taken four hundred and thirty-four wickets on English pitches out of seven hundred total; two hundred sixty-six abroad including ninety-two within Asia, which averages twenty-seven point five one.
Anderson’s first Test wicket was Zimbabwe’s Mark Vermeulen, at Lord’s in May 2003. Ever since, his notable scalps have been South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (100th), Australia’s Peter Siddle (200th), New Zealanders Peter Fulton and Martin Guptill (300th and 400th respectively) and West Indies’ Kraigg Brathwaite (500th).