Bringing the curtains down on a 21-year-long Test career, England cricket's grand old man James Anderson bowed out at the sport's traditional bastion Lord's, with 704 wickets to his name at the end of the first match against West Indies on Friday (July 12, 2024). The 41-year-old retired with a big team win under his belt. (Highlights | More Cricket News)
Anderson picked up four wickets through the course of the game as the hosts crushed the Windies by an innings and 114 runs well inside three days. The veteran had the opportunity to finish his farewell Test with a wicket, but spilled a caught-and-bowled chance to let Gudakesh Motie off the hook.
Gus Atkinson, who is the newest English seamer likely to succeed Anderson, was the star of the match as he snared 12 wickets for 106 runs in his maiden red-ball outing. These are the second-best bowling figures by an Englishman on Test debut, after Frederick Martin all the way back in 1890.
Nevertheless, the day and the match was all about Anderson's swansong. Speaking to Sky Sports after the conclusion of the match, Anderson said: "I tried to enjoy the week. I just wanted to enjoy every minute, soak up the atmosphere and enjoy doing something I've loved for 20-odd years. Thankfully it swung a little bit at times and the pitch did enough throughout the game to test the batters out.
I'm a competitive person, no matter what I do, I'm competitive at it. That is the thing I'll miss the most, that battle with a batter. That's something I've taken pride in over the years."
He added: "I got a little bit emotional walking onto the field when the two teams were lined up. I just tried to settle in and get wickets. Maybe I tried a bit too hard towards the end. Forgot to put my hands on and dropped the catch."
Anderson was candid enough to admit he never aced the Ashes Tests against arch-rivals Australia. "To be honest, obviously there's a little bit more on it, but unlike Stuart [Broad] I don't feel like I ever rose to the occasion, I gave it everything regardless of the opposition. I didn't completely nail Ashes cricket. Maybe I was trying too hard at times.
"It's incredible to be involved in those sorts of series. Enjoyed every minute of it. I know you're trying to make me feel old but it just makes me feel proud that I've played with so many unbelievably talented cricketers... seeing that talent up close, I feel so lucky to have done that."
Asked about which year was his best, the legend said, "I feel like you go so up and down. Some series you feel amazing and then the next one, you're not quite on it.
"Playing against [Virat] Kohli in the early days, you feel like you could get him out every ball; now, you feel like you can't get him out at all and feel so inferior."
