England ace Jimmy Anderson 'looks 21 again' as he closes on historic landmark
Jimmy Anderson has a new lease of life and thoughts of retirement couldn’t be further from his mind.
Anderson, 41, continues to defy conventional wisdom and could reach 700 Test wickets in the third test against India, which starts on Thursday in Rajkot with the score level at 1-1. There were 186 days between the fifth Ashes Test in July and the second Test in Visakhapatnam. Rather than put his feet up, Anderson used the time to get fitter than ever before – and it showed against India.
Anderson took 5-76 from his 35 overs as the lone fast bowler, producing a hall-of-fame delivery to dismiss India captain Rohit Sharma in the second innings. He now stands on 695 Test wickets and is showing no signs of slowing down as he edges closer to becoming the first fast bowler in the 700 club alongside legendary spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
Steven Finn opened the bowling with Anderson during a seven-wicket win in Kolkata on England’s famous tour of India in 2012 and, having retired and become a pundit with TNT Sports, is in awe of his longevity. “He looked 21 again didn’t he? He is flying in the face of what ageing should be to a fast bowler,” he said.
“It can become hard looking after your body when you’re getting on as a fast bowler. I’m 34 years old and I struggle to get out of bed in the mornings with back spasms and other ailments, so I think the fact that he is waking up each day and is enthused to play Test match cricket at the intensity speaks a lot about him and the environment that Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum have cultivated.”
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Originally known as a master of swing bowling, Anderson has now added many other strings to his bow, including the unpredictable wobble seam delivery. Finn took 125 wickets in 36 Tests and thinks his thirst for knowledge has been key to his continued success.
“Evolving as a sports person over the course of your career is the kind of thing that keeps the candle burning,” he said. “If you stagnate and try to survive as you are, you come to the end of the road and feel like you have nothing left to give.
Steven Finn (middle, back row) played with Jimmy Anderson (second from left, front row) in India in 2012 (Gareth Copley/Getty Images)“But when you speak to James Anderson, he’s always looking for ways to get better, to take wickets and as long as that candle is still burning and desire is still there, you feel as though there’s no stopping him. He’s probably licking his lips at the prospect of another English summer and going way beyond that 700-wicket mark.”
Anderson’s motivation to keep going has been fuelled by his enjoyment of playing in the Bazball era. “Stokes never lets the game drift,” Finn said. “There have been times on previous tours to India where it becomes a game of attrition and it means that you just have to settle in and be boring as a seam bowler, hang in there and way for someone to make a mistake.
“What Ben Stokes does as a captain is force people to make mistakes so the game naturally moves a lot quicker and the game is always interesting. I’ve not found myself bored at any stage of the first two Test matches, when typically in India there will be sessions where not a lot happens. I think that keeps you alive as a player as well because you’re always on your toes at the thought of something that may happen.”
Jimmy Anderson bowled Rohit Sharma with a beauty in the second Test (Stu Forster/Getty Images)Anderson has spoken of his desire to pass on his knowledge to the next generation. Fielding at mid-off or mid-on, he has frequently been seen chatting to young spinners Shoaib Bashir, Rehan Ahmed and Tom Hartley. Finn captained Middlesex towards the end of his playing career and believes Anderson has been given a new lease of life by the youngsters around him.
“You get to a stage in your career where you take pleasure in helping other people. It gives you a motivation and a focus, outside of worrying about yourself,” he said. “I think subconsciously that helps you get more out of yourself and helps you enjoy the games far more than you would if you didn’t have that responsibility.
“Seeing James Anderson talking all the time to Stokes and those young bowlers, helping them through the experiences he had 22 years ago when he made his debut. Those 22 years of experience for those young players to lean upon is huge and something that will enthuse him to keep on going, because you take great satisfaction in seeing other people do well.”
Tune in to the third Test of England’s tour of India, live on TNT Sports 1 from 3.30am on February 15. Sign up to TNT Sports and discovery+
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