Veteran England fast bowler James Anderson made history yesterday at Edgbaston when he became the oldest pacer to take a Test five-wicket haul. Playing against the Indian cricket team, Anderson dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Mohammed Siraj, and Ravindra Jadeja to emerge as the pick of the bowlers for the home team.
Anderson ended with figures of 5/60 after bowling 21.5 overs in the first innings. Four of them were maiden overs. The right-arm fast bowler is one of the few players to have made the Test debut in 2003 and still playing in the longest format of the game.
One of the main reasons behind his longevity is his fitness and consistent performance. A player can be fit, but if he does not perform consistently, he could not hold on to his place in the playing XI for a longer period. Similarly, a player can perform consistently, but if he is not fit, he cannot have a long international career.
James Anderson has maintained himself well, and in the last 16 years, he has picked up at least one five-wicket haul in a Test match for the England cricket team. A Twitter user shared the crazy stat on Twitter with the following tweet:
“James Anderson has taken at least 1 five-wicket haul in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 in Test cricket – 16 consecutive years.“
James Anderson has taken at least 1 five-wicket haul in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022 in Test cricket – 16 consecutive years. pic.twitter.com/P420SqT8Wq
Advertisement— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) July 3, 2022
James Anderson did not take a single wicket-haul from 2004 to 2006
Fans should note that James Anderson has taken a five-wicket haul in every year since 2007, but he did not take a single five-wicket haul in Test matches that happened in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Here’s what he said yesterday on Test Match Special after the end of the day’s play:
“I felt good. It was nice to be able to get back into this one. It was a bit frustrating to miss the last game, but I wasn’t ready for that. I don’t set targets, I never have and I never will. Every time I’m out on the field I’m trying to win a game for England.”
