James Anderson

Arguably the best red-ball bowler produced in world cricket, James Anderson is the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket presently amongst seamers.

The Lancashire cricketer has set high standards when it comes to skills and longevity since making his ODI debut in 2002 against Australia in Melbourne.

Anderson soon made his mark in the longest format after receiving his maiden Test cap during the Zimbabwe series in 2003. Since then, he had been a regular feature for England in all formats of the game.

He soon became the most successful bowler in Test cricket for England after surpassing Ian Botham’s tally of 383 wickets. Then, he went on to become the first English bowler to take 500 Test wickets after dismissing Kraigg Brathwaite during the 2017 series against West Indies.

A year later, Anderson registered his name in the history books as he castled Mohammed Shami to scalp his 564th Test wicket and overhaul Glenn McGrath’s tally. Thereby becoming the most successful seamer in the history of the game.

During the game against Pakistan at Southampton in 2020, Anderson went on to create a benchmark for himself by scalping his 600th Test victim.

His tally of 156 appearances for ‘The Three Lions’ is the second-most by any Englishman, only behind Alastair Cook’s tally of 161 games. (As of January 2021).

Overall, in Tests, Anderson has an enviable average of 26.78 and a strike rate of 56.2. With as many as 27 five-wicket hauls, he holds the record of second-most fifers in Test cricket amongst seamers after McGrath.

Together with Stuart Board, ‘Jimmy’ has forged a daunting alliance, especially in the overcast condition at home, with the new ball. The Broad-Anderson duo have 1100+ wickets among themselves. Thereby, proving to be the best new-ball partners in the history of Test cricket.

The Burnley-born also showcased his skills in white-ball cricket, with his economical bowling with the new ball. But, Anderson’s lines and lengths were found out when it came to death bowling in the limited-overs format.

Anderson boasts a magnificent tally of 269 wickets in 191 games for England in ODI cricket, with an impressive economy of 4.95, with the best figures of 5/23 and an average of 29.22.

Across all formats, Anderson has picked up a whopping 887 wickets, which is the sixth-best overall, and third-most amongst fast bowlers. Such figures are monumental for any fast-bowler, especially looking at his career filled with injuries.

Anderson’s longevity can be credited to the England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) workload management principles. Since the 2015 World Cup, Anderson hasn’t featured in any international white-ball competition, owing to cultural changes in England cricket in the aftermath of the celebrated tournament.

With the change in culture under the directorship of Andrew Strauss and captaincy of Eoin Morgan, England cricket in the limited-overs boasted attacking batsmen and defensive bowlers, coupled with a long batting order.

Therefore, his performances in Test cricket hasn’t been affected due to gruelling schedules of modern-day all-format cricketers and the Lancashire bowler has coped up well with fatigue and injuries.

Anderson is best known for making Virat Kohli his bunny during the 2014 Indian tour. Kohli’s horrid tour consisted of Anderson enticing him to play outside the off-stump, in the fifth stump line. One of the top batsmen of the world, Kohli, kept on nicking the ball towards the slips, as Anderson got the better of the batsmen in each innings of the five-Test matches in the series.

The crown jewel for Anderson and his brilliant career has to be the compliment received from Sachin Tendulkar. The Master Blaster, who faced the likes of McGrath, Courtney Walsh, Wasim Akram, Shaun Pollock and many other legends, once revealed that the only bowler he found difficult to cope was none other than Anderson.

As a matter fact, Anderson holds an impressive record of dismissing Tendulkar most number of times in his career. Anderson has also been part of the three victorious English sides in Ashes.

Tracing his career, he found it difficult to break into the England side due to injuries and the likes of Andrew Caddick, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Darren Gough and Simon Jones in the pecking order.

However, Anderson made quite a reputation for himself in the sporadic appearances made during his early years.

Anderson found a permanent place for himself in the England lineup with the departure of Ashes-winning class of 2005. His best figures came against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in the 2007 series where he scalped seven Kiwi wickets for just 43 runs. The seamer’s career-best figures of 11 wickets in a match came against Pakistan in the 2010-11 season.

The Lancashireman’s accolades include ‘Wisden’s Five Cricketers of the Year’ in 2009 and ‘Freedom of Burnley Award’ in 2012. At age 38, Anderson is in the twilight of his career and a number of records left to shattered. All in all, the crafty English seamer will go down as one of the greatest produced in the game of cricket.