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Friday, July 12 might signal the conclusion of James Anderson’s remarkable Test cricket journey. England currently holds a commanding position in the ongoing first Test against West Indies at Lord’s, poised to potentially wrap up the match within just three days.
At the close of day two, West Indies found themselves struggling at 79/6, still needing 172 runs to avoid the follow-on. With only Joshua Da Silva standing as a recognized batsman, England appears well-positioned to swiftly dismiss the visitors, possibly even within the morning session.
A victory here would not only underscore England’s dominance under Ben Stokes’ leadership but also mark the end of James Anderson’s illustrious Test career. The veteran pacer had earlier announced that this Test would be his final appearance in international cricket.
As anticipation builds for the third day’s play, former England captain Nasser Hussain has expressed a national desire to see Anderson depart the game with a flourish—a potential five-wicket haul and the final wicket of the match. Achieving this feat would require Anderson to claim three of the remaining four West Indian wickets.
“Definitely, but also Stokes, the captain, you know, he has a great emotional intelligence. It doesn’t take a lot of emotional intelligence to work out what everyone in the nation wants today, and that is they want Jimmy Anderson to possibly get a fifer. That’s three out of four, and definitely to get the last wicket,” Nasser Hussain told Sky Sports.
“I mean, there’s going to be so much going on today. We’ve been presumptuous. West Indies could bat and we could be back here tomorrow talking Jimmy again, but if it does end today, you know, there’ll be a guard of honor for him, I’m sure,” he added.
Nasser Hussain on James Anderson’s potential last day as a Test player:
Nasser Hussain reflected further, acknowledging that tears and deep emotions are likely to mark what might be James Anderson’s farewell from Test cricket. Despite the poignant moment, the former cricketer-turned-commentator expressed confidence in his ex-England teammate’s ability to set aside sentiment and continue his longstanding contribution of taking crucial wickets for the team, a role he has adeptly fulfilled over his illustrious 21-year career.
“There’ll be tears, there’ll be emotion, but Jimmy will be at the end of his mark, like he’s done for 21 years, just focusing in on top of off-stump and trying to get some more wickets for England,” said Nasser Hussain.
The conclusion of this match marks the end of an extraordinary chapter in Test cricket history. James Anderson, who made his debut at the same ground in 2003, will be retiring after 21 illustrious years. He leaves behind a legacy as the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test cricket, surpassed only by Sachin Tendulkar in terms of appearances in the longest format of the game.
