The road distance between London and Manchester is around 180 miles- that’s around 25% of the running Jimmy Anderson has made in his Test career, to bowl more than 40000 legal deliveries; add 10000 more to term it International career. Three players, over him in that list, are all spinners-undoubtedly, and the guy just under the ‘Burnley’ boy is Stuart Broad, who has around 1200 overs less under his belt from his crime partner in the field.
The week hasn’t been a smooth and easy one for all the Test cricket lovers- no matter which country you all belong to. The guy who is a couple of weeks away from turning 42, being part of 21-years, having gone through all the injuries and stuffs, is playing his final red-ball game. That’s Jimmy Anderson, ending on 188 Tests.
Fast bowling is never an easy job. It takes a lot out of your body. To go in for such a long period of time in Test cricket, and that’s only thing we all see- denying the warm-ups, the club games he has been involved- it’s insane to believe how it needed a tap on the shoulder for the coach Brendon McCullum to pull the curtains down.
Being a pacer, you are always being asked to do the donkey job. You have to run in all day, irrespective of the conditions you have- whether it’s the humidity of Colombo or Mumbai, or the dry heat of Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Jimmy has spoken about the fact of how much he struggled at times to get to the toilet next morning, after putting 20-25 overs in a day.
Finding motivation for love of Test cricket
I basically have no idea of how does it feel to take even one wicket with the red cherry, let alone 700-odd, but I heard the late great Shane Warne speaking on what it takes to reach the peak of the mountain. And once those words came to my ear, I realized it’s not that easy as it feels to be.
All 109 team-mates of Jimmy Anderson in his 188-match Test career for England 🏴 pic.twitter.com/sYfuhzREfP
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 11, 2024
The best guys over the generation always challenges themselves. Their fight isn’t with someone else, but against themselves- in trying to be the best version of their career. You talk about Muttiah Muralitharan. It’s quite crazy how he decided to announce his retirement going into the last Test at Galle against India on 792 wickets.
That bloke was quite decent one, you suppose, in spinning the ball, wasn’t he? But the smell was of 800, and the opponent plays spin well. It’s an Asian side after all. But the self-belief was enormous, and that’s what differ him from others.
For Jimmy Anderson, to be able to play for 21-years means lots of sacrifices, lots of hours being away from his loved ones- his partner, his daughters, his parents, family, friends. There have been times when he would wake up in the morning, and feel a bit stiff, but he would again strap his boots, take the ball, run in and bowl with pace- that’s called being mentally tough.
It’s also about finding motivation. There have been times in the recovery process during the freezing cold winter, when Jimmy had to be ready alone and go for a jog, or do TheraBand in the shoulder, and all that by himself- that’ where he had to find inspiration, and you get that only because all these mean so much to you.
Ageless Mercedes Anderson & the rarest feat of 700 milestone
For Jimmy Anderson- It’s graft, grind, curious, learning and improving
In the modern generation of T20 cricket, where players are flying around the globe for high cheque, there is the lad from Burnley who would walk around and portray the longest format.
The most disgusting thing that I mostly hear about Jimmy is that they talk about how he doesn’t get those T20 contracts because of being not that good in white-ball. Hey, get your rubbish facts right. Last time, he turned up for an England white-ball game was in 2015 during the ODI World Cup, and still stands at number one in the wicket-takers list with 269-scalps. What more do you expect?
When Nasser Hussain gave him his cap, he was quite lanky. Then he was dropped from the side, and changed his action before coming back again. It was quite deranged to believe how his father was quite surprised watching his son stretching that far, and still keep on earning success.
In his case, you also want to remember the moments. The one I remember the most was that delicious in-swinging delivery in Grenada in 2015 to Kraigg Braithwaite, a very good batter in his defense. Anderson doesn’t get the appreciation for all the hard yards he crosses for a spell, over the course of a day, or a Test, or a series, especially when it’s flat, and everyone looks around at each other to get one winkled out.
That 2/99 in 37 overs, including 13 maidens in Brisbane was remarkable, but you won’t find it everywhere, because it lacked the reward in numbers. That 7/42 at Lord’s against the West Indies is still fresh in many minds, expect you are Braithwaite again, who had the similar sort of day like Grenada.
Sometimes, you would see Anderson grasping the air, after earning the wicket, with his right hand showing the signal of the umpire’s finger, as if to say the batter, you are just a part of a long family. When I found out the news of Baz asking Jimmy to move on, the very next thing I recalled was his dismissal, when he turned around to find his off-stump out of the ground.
That’s all the on-field ones. Off the field, he is like an emotional person, and struggles most of the time in expressing his thoughts, as you remember his interview to Sky during Sir Alastair Cook’s farewell. Being a number 11, there have been times when he would do the customary hand-shakes, but he would never want to look back at 2014 Headingley, when he was dismissed on the penultimate ball of the game, after defending 55 deliveries. That was quite a long drag to the dressing room.
Thanks Jimmy- Always away from the center stage
The first day had so much. The whole attention of the week was Jimmy Anderson, and one could see him feeling the huge heart and heavy legs starting at the mark. He was nervous, and that’s because of the center stage. He never likes it, always comes, does the job and walks away gently.
All the ovations and receptions he got for those two and half days were quite incredible. And the way it finished for him, with a late swing delivery that found the outside edge of the batter, who looked to turn it on the on-side. Quite remarkable.
3/32 in 16-overs of the second innings, including seven maidens was juts a fraction of what was a tremendous career of 188 Tests, 704 wickets, in 350 innings, at an economy of 2,79, average around 26. Hold your breathe. 32 five-wicket hauls, three ten-wicket hauls, best of 7/42, and then add this- 1353 runs, with that crunchy 81 at Trent Bridge.
Will Jennings quite rightfully wrote- ‘You’re here, there’s nothing I fear/ And I know that my heart will go on.’ Thanks Jimmy. It was an privilege to see you, but the game and you will still remain inseparable. If not England, then Lancashire, or then Burnley, or for someone else- catch him if you think you can.
Author: That mAd wrIter
Someone who loves how Steve Smith from being Australia's future Shane Warne has become present Don Bradman, gets inspired by Anderson's longevity, gets awed with Kohli's drive and Southee's bowling action. Never gets excited with stats and records, and believes in instincts, and always questions spinners bowling with the new ball.
