188 tests, 704 test wickets and the last game played at the ripe old age of 42 years, when most of the contemporaries would have become either coaches or commentators, are some of the highlights of the great career that James Anderson had, who just hanged his shoes after his last test against West Indies just 3-4 days ago.
A few months ago, his long time bowling partner, Stuart Broad, called it a day after ending a glorious career that saw him taking 600+ test wickets. And Anderson and Broad were the spearheads of English pace attack for many years, sharing a record number of wickets between them. Broad’s retirement would have put some pressure on Anderson also to retire, but probably he wanted to set a record by claiming 700 wickets, to which he was so close at that juncture, and that would be a near improbability for a pace bowler, given the wear and tear a modern day pace bowler faces!
Like in case of Broad, here also English skipper persisted with Anderson to take the last wicket and end his glorious career on a high note. In fact, the batter offered him a caught and bold chance, which Anderson could not latch on to and the match was then finished by the debutant bowler Atkinson, who made a dream debut by recording a figure of 12/106 for the test!
As aforesaid, I do not see any of the current pace bowlers reaching anyway near to Anderson’s figures and if and when anyone reaches there, such an event will not take away any glory from Anderson’s great achievement! Also, his life and achievement will serve an inspiration to young cricketers to be persistent, perseverant, fit, healthy, hungry and ambitious!
All the best Jimmy Anderson for a great next innings!
Arvind Arya blog 