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James Anderson is set to play his final Test at Lord’s, marking his 188th and concluding match of his illustrious career. England, having won the toss, chose to bowl first and have already dismissed the top three batsmen. Despite this, Anderson has yet to claim a wicket in his farewell game.
Currently standing at 700 Test wickets, Anderson aims to surpass Shane Warne’s tally of 708 wickets, placing him second on the all-time list behind Muttiah Muralitharan who leads with 800 wickets. Stuart Broad, Anderson’s long-time teammate, acknowledged that while the 41-year-old may have an eye on overtaking Warne, his primary focus remains on England’s success in the match.
“He might have half an eye on Shane Warne’s Test wicket tally of 708 if he has a really good week but he will just want to walk off the pitch winning the game,” said Broad in a column for Sky Sports.
“I know he is nearly 42 and this will be his 188th Test but he will feel some nerves this week, no doubt. He won’t shy away from that. He’ll know a lot of eyes are on him and that people will be hoping and wishing he does something really special,” he wrote further.
Former skipper Andrew Strauss confirmed that James Anderson is an unlikely contender to play in the next Ashes series, considering England’s schedule of 18 Test matches before the event. Stuart Broad also weighed in on the topic, offering his views on Anderson’s potential involvement.
“I don’t think they are questioning whether he is in their best team right now. For me, there is no doubting that. Against West Indies and Sri Lanka at home with the moving ball, he is in your XI. But they are thinking about what England need to regain the Ashes in Australia in 2025/26 and they need to give exposure to those types of bowlers and see if they are good enough at Test level. At the moment, they are slightly unproven,” he wrote in his column.
Following the first Test against West Indies, James Anderson will continue to be a part of the England squad as a mentor for the subsequent two Tests, as reported. Despite Windies losing half their side on day one of Anderson’s final Test, the veteran bowler is yet to secure a wicket.
