James Anderson bows out for England – there will never be another like him
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James Anderson has delivered his last ball in Test cricket. After two decades of playing for his country, his remarkable career has now concluded.
Prior to the Test match this week, he claimed to be in top form and showed no noticeable decline in performance against the West Indies. He impressively took four wickets for 58 runs, proving that he still has a valuable role to play in the team.
On the last day of the Test match, Anderson walked onto the field with players from both teams and the England coaching staff forming a line to show their respect. He appeared to be filled with emotion.
In his second over of the day, he took a wicket by catching Joshua Da Silva behind the stumps with a stunning outswinger. The batsman tried to flick the ball to the leg side, but instead, it caught the edge and was safely caught by Jamie Smith.
But, the story took an unexpected turn. England only needed one more wicket to win, and Anderson was bowling from the Nursery End. Gudakesh Motie hit the ball back towards him, but Anderson, catching with one hand, dropped the catch.
Gus Atkinson had an impressive start, taking 12 wickets in his first match. However, it was Anderson who received a standing ovation as he led the team off the field after England's victory by an innings and 114 runs.
On the last day, all the attention was on one person, even though Anderson usually avoids being the center of attention. He doesn't even listen to his own podcast, Tailenders. In 2014, he mentioned to Nasser Hussain that he would retire in a simple way, without any drama. But that's not how it happened.
The event focused on Anderson, even though it's true he may not have chosen to retire if given the chance. He was gently nudged towards moving on, marking the end of his career.
The numbers say it all. He ended his career with 704 Test wickets, only four less than the legendary Shane Warne at 708, and not too far behind Muttiah Muralitharan at 800. He has one hundred more wickets than any other fast bowler, along with 188 Test appearances, 1,353 runs, and a top score of 81.
He became an expert at swing bowling and saw his statistics improve after turning 35. He excelled under various leaderships and captains. Even the current England head coach, Brendon McCullum, started his Test career after Anderson did, played 100 Tests, retired, and is now coaching, while the bowler from Burnley has kept working on his skills.
Stuart Broad ended his career with a storybook ending last year, smashing a six on his last delivery and taking a wicket with his final ball to secure England's win and tie the Ashes series at the Oval. Sir Alastair Cook also celebrated a century in his last game for England, which took place in south London.
Anderson started playing before the other two players and stopped playing after them. No other fast bowler will be able to match his accomplishments or his long career in the sport.
