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What does it mean to have 700 wickets in 20 years of test cricket? James Anderson knows the feeling. And he’ll very definitely be the last to know.
The significance of those figures is difficult for cricket fans born this century to grasp. It dates back to the days when fax machines were still in use, social media was unknown, and T20 cricket was in its infancy.
Who has spent the last 20 years playing Test cricket, largely as a fast bowler? Why would somebody do that to their own body? James Anderson did it because he could and because he was good at it.
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He’s still going strong at the age of 41. He took seven wickets for Lancashire in the first innings of their county play against Notts last week.
But it could be because James Anderson knows he needs to give his best this week in his farewell Test against the West Indies at Lord’s.
It’s difficult to retire as an international player, especially when you’re as talented as James Anderson. However, the decision was made earlier this year when Rob Key, Brendon McCullum, and Ben Stokes, the England team’s principal decision-makers, informed Anderson that it was time to move on.
James Anderson’s two-decade career will end. Maybe he was nudged towards the exit by the end, but Jimmy can’t just let it go. He got here via sheer willpower and a love of art.
James Anderson began as a real fast with a unique haircut who could consistently bowl over 90 mph. And, like other fast bowlers, he suffered a back ailment a few years into his international career.
Back injuries are a rite of passage for any good seamer. Anderson then moulded his bowling in the crucible of that injury setback, fine-tuning his action and making precise tweaks that propelled him to the top of the world’s new ball bowling rankings.
James Anderson’s Remarkable Journey to 700 Wickets
In England, James Anderson has 434 wickets in 105 Tests. Perfect seam presentation, one of the best wrist postures, and an ideal wobble seam combine to make him nearly unplayable.
There is absolutely no one better than him in English conditions, which some use to criticise his away record.
James Anderson, on the other hand, has accomplished the greatest feat of any fast bowler away from home (244 wickets in 76 matches): winning Test series in India and Australia.
England enjoyed a golden time from 2009 to 2012. Following their victory in the Caribbean T20 World Cup, they won the Ashes series.
During the Ashes series, Alastair Cook piled on the runs as England outbatted Australia. But bowlers win the series. And who was the highest wicket-taker? James Anderson has 24.
The following season, in 2012, England achieved the seemingly impossible: a Test series victory in India, despite losing the first match. Anderson was the deciding factor in India’s 2-1 series triumph, according to captain MS Dhoni. It is India’s lone Test series defeat in over a decade.
James Anderson also mastered one facet of pace bowling that few expected him to: reverse swing. It turned out that his action was ideal for old-ball feats as well. At his age, he can still accelerate to 140 kph if necessary. This is presumably why he had good results on Asian pitches – 92 wickets in 32 Tests at an average of 27.
With the exception of Glenn McGrath and Dale Steyn, no other pacer in contemporary history has inflicted such widespread havoc. James Anderson is still going strong, even though the people he played with have since retired and will be commentating on his final match.
The figure of 700 Test wickets represents a bygone era. None of the other active cricketers come close to that figure. Spinners are the next greatest, with Nathan Lyon (530 wickets) from Australia and Ravichandran Ashwin (516) from India.
Fast bowlers are much further back. Mitchell Starc, an Australian fast, has 358 Test wickets but is nearing the conclusion of his career. Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas pacer, is approaching 300. Jasprit Bumrah, the all-conquering bowler, is a long way from reaching 200 Test wickets.
With so much cricket played throughout the year, particularly in T20 and franchise leagues, bowlers have ceased pushing themselves in red ball cricket. Four and five-Test series are rare, with the majority of them taking place between England, Australia, and India.
Young players are abandoning domestic contracts to focus on T20 and franchise cricket. Most pacers now train for four-over matches and not much else. Fewer and fewer children now practise front foot defence, preferring to pick up the ramp and switch hit as soon as possible.
Test cricket in general is being pushed to the sidelines as T20 places increasing demands on the calendar. Every cricket board now wants a viable T20 franchise tournament that will support everything else. Only those fortunate enough can devote time and resources to Test cricket.
So, as the world around us evolves, James Anderson remains the last giant from a time when a player was judged on what he could achieve over five days, not three and a half hours.
Cricket fans should be eternally grateful to Anderson because no one will ever be like him again.
Also Read: Top 5 best bowling figures on Test debut at the Lord’s