As the first Test match between India and England came to a heart-wrenching conclusion for the home fans, England rode on a storm brewed by James Anderson and Jack Leach, leaving India devastated.
Despite Leach being the pick of the bowling slew with 4 wickets in his repertoire, it was Jimmy Anderson who broke the backbone of the Indian batting line-up, scalping the prized wickets of Ajinkya Rahane, Shubman Gill, and Rishabh Pant. The way James Anderson castled Shubman Gill and Ajinkya Rahane in a similar fashion with absolute scorchers dripping of reverse-swing will compel you to walk down the memory lane where Anderson used to be a nightmare.
James Anderson has been in the international cricket circuit for a long tenure now and has shared the English camp with a boatload of veteran English cricketers, finishing their stints with the three lions on their crest. He made his debut in international cricket in 2002 and his 19-year-old stint in the English colors still continues. Here are the five oldest players who rubbed shoulders with James Anderson.
1. Alec Stewart – 57 years and 306 days
One of the most experienced campaigners of the English side, the man who led them to countless glories not just with the bat or the gloves but also with his fearless leadership, Alec Stewart tops the list. The erstwhile English skipper made his debut for England in 1989, when Anderson was just 7 years old. The duo played 21 matches together which acts as a testimony to the duo’s enduring brilliance. Stewart pulled the plug on his international career in 2003 after a contest with South Africa in Oval. Stewart is 35-years-older than Sam Curran, the youngest cricketer to play alongside Anderson.
2. Nasser Hussain – 52 years and 317 days
He is the captain under whom Anderson started his glittering cricketing antiquity. Hussain captained Anderson since 2002 and he eventually hung his boots in 2004. Anderson’s debut came against the invincible Australians who imposed a comprehensive shellacking upon the Three Lions with Anderson managing the scalp of Gilchrist.
3. Andy Caddick – 52 years and 79 days
One of the torchbearers of England’s fast-bowling phenomenon, Andrew Caddick found himself sharing the new ball with someone whose age gap with him was 14 long years. The duo first bowled together against Pakistan at Cape Town where Anderson chronicled figures of 4 for 29 to leave his counterparts in ruins. Four victims of him on that day were Saeed Anwar, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Mohammad Yousuf, and Rashid Latif.
4. Martin Bicknell – 52 years and 25 days
Bicknell, an astronomical moniker in domestic cricket, was always kept on the fringes by the English cricket team. However, he was recalled to the national side in 2003 at the ripe age of 34 years where he shared the new ball with 21-year-old Anderson. Ed Smith, England’s current national selector also made his debut in the same game. Bicknell’s debut came in 1990 when Anderson was only 8 years old.
5. Shaun Udal – 51 years and 327 days
Udal came back to the international scene after a hiatus of almost a decade. Udal was recalled for the Pakistan and India tours. H3 played his final game at Mumbai where Jimmy’s magical figures of 4 for 40 left India writhing in agony.
