James Anderson Retirement: A Look At Five Of His Best Deliveries

Just yesterday, on Day 2 of the England vs West Indies Test at Lord's, James Anderson completed 40,000 deliveries in Test cricket. 40,000! A mind-boggling number. Especially for a fast bowler. (More Cricket News)

To pick up five out of these requires laboured effort. However, great sporting moments get stuck in the mind forever and that is what has happened with some of the best wicket-taking deliveries from Anderson.

As Anderson takes field as an international player for one last time at Lord's, we take a look at five of his best deliveries that have stayed in the minds of fans and will stay there forever.

Brendon McCullum, Trent Bridge 2008

Brendon McCullum vs James Anderson is a battle of fire and ice. McCullum who tries to crush the ball while making contact up against Anderson whose whole aim is for the red cherry to just gently kiss the top of off stump. On some days though Anderson likes the stumps to do some acrobatics and this was one such day.

An attempted outswinger that seemed to be too straight. McCullum thought he could turn it into leg side so he put his wrists on work. But just before pitching the ball would move away and soon it had whizzed past McCullum's bat to take the off stump with itself. The off stump lay lifeless far away from its other partners and Anderson jumped in joy.

This is the ball that will make a young James Anderson, The James Anderson of today.

Anderson had dismissed Aaron Redmond in the exact same fashion just few overs ago. McCullum knew what was coming but he couldn't do anything. He had a clue and yet was clueless. Like so many others who will further face Anderson.

Ricky Ponting, Adelaide 2010

By 2010, Ricky Ponting was in the twilight of his career. He was still Ricky Ponting though and England were fully aware of the value of getting him early.

And England did get him early with a beauty from who else but Anderson. Pitched up, inviting Ponting to drive and the Aussie accepted the invitation gleefully. He took a calculated stride to make the ball a half-volley but did not factor in for Anderson's magic.

The ball seamed away slightly after pitching, taking Ponting's outside edge, and flew straight to Graeme Swann in slips. England would win the match and go on to win their last away Ashes.

Shahid Afridi, Rawalpindi 2005

Anderson is so good in whites that his exploits in England colours are not just overlooked but totally ignored. Almost a decade after his last ODI for his country, the swing maestro still remains England's highest wicket-taker in the format with 269 wickets. Only one Englishman has more than 200 and among active players the closest to him is Adil Rashid with 199.

Just like his ODI numbers are ignored, his ability to adapt to the format is overlooked too.

Pakistan needed just above a run-a-ball to win with Shahid Afridi and Abdul Razzaq at crease. Wickets were needed and a young Anderson fulfilled the need.

He speared a pinpoint yorker that rushed right past Afiridi's bat to bring England back in the game. At the big moment, Anderson stood tall, at his versatile best.

Anderson would dismiss Razzaq too and finish with four wickets to lead England to victory.

Michael Clarke, Trent Bridge 2013

One of the most memorable Anderson wickets. Michael Clarke, at the peak of his powers, made to surrender to the might of Anderson's magic.

Good length delivery on the off stump, just a touch fuller to bring Clarke to front foot. Everything was hitting the middle of Clarke's bat at that time and he thought this ball would too. But Anderson magic awaited.

Ball moved slightly away from Clarke's straight bat defence and in the next second gently dislodged the bails off the stumps. Clarke, fully on front foot, almost falls over.

Anderson and England celebrate as the Aussie walks back taking a look at the stumps for one last time to get a glimpse of that magic.

Ajinkya Rahane, Chennai 2021

Cometh the hour, cometh the man. For England, that man was James Anderson.

Beating India in India in a Test match is an improbable task. And Anderson was England's man to do improbable things.

Hot and humid Chennai conditions are in sharp contrast to cold and overcast weather in England where Anderson mastered the conventional swing. In India though, reverse swing was needed. Not the outside off line to get edges but the stump line to keep the furniture in play.

Experience taught Anderson these things. And come 2021, he was ready to cook.

In the fourth innings, with the match on the line, Ajinkya Rahane was served a hot reverse swinger from Anderson. Result: too hot to handle.

A full delivery, swinging in from outside off, forced Rahane to take a big stride forward to cut the movement. But he couldn't. The ball found the gap between Rahane's bat and pad and thudded into the stumps to send the woodwork cartwheeling.

Again, just a few balls ago Anderson had done the same with Shubman Gill but Rahane's technique was expected to be tighter. Turned out, it wasn't. No technique was tight enough for the evergreen Anderson.