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'If we were bowling at our batsmen, we'd have the better of them too' - James Anderson


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Age is just a number, but rather like his bowling stats, James Andersonkeeps ratcheting his figures up to ever more daunting levels. "I've just turned 36, mate!" he protested when one journalist mistakenly added an extra year to his tally, but it's harder still to keep tabs on the wickets column.

 

Anderson's final figures of 5 for 20 in 13.2 overs, harvested under brooding and occasionally demented skies, were a display of minimalist wizardry that evoked Sir Richard Hadlee in the final years of a career that he surely could have extended into a fifth decade had he felt sufficient hunger.

 

Like Hadlee in those latter years, Anderson has become the master craftsman, capable now of perhaps longer spells than any previous stage of his career, due to a precised run-up that dispenses with any fripperies, and a confidence in his own methods so absolute that he believes he would have had the measure of any line-up in the world today, including his own team-mates.

 

"I think that if we bowled like that today, with those conditions, we'd bowl most teams in the world out - because I think we were that good," Anderson said.

"We hardly bowled any bad balls, we didn't give them much to hit at all - and when you build pressure like that all day, no matter who you are around the world, it is difficult.

 

 

"I think if we were bowling at our batsmen, we'd have the better of them [too]. We exploit those conditions as well as anyone in the world. I don't think it's just the Indian batsmen that would have struggled."

 

But on this occasion, they most certainly did. Anderson's Indian scalps comprised two at the top, as India's openers were bent from the crease like a claw-hammer evicting a pair of rusty old nails, and three at the bottom, as Ajinkya Rahane and the tail followed meekly in the final half-hour of an absurdly elongated day.

 

And by the end of it all, he had booked his place on the Lord's honours board for the sixth time in 23 appearances - leaving just two shy of the overall record of eight, held by another cricketing knight, Sir Ian Botham, whom he also trails by 26 to 27 in England's overall five-wickets tally. He will go into the second innings with 99 scalps at this ground alone, and 549 in 140 Tests all told. No wonder people can't keep tabs.

"I don't think about numbers or my age, I feel like … I won't say 28, but 32?" he said. "I don't feel old, I feel like I can still throw myself around in the field as well as anyone else, so as long as I feel like that, I'm just going to keep playing as long as possible. Hopefully the wickets will keep coming as well and I can help this team keep winning."

 

If Anderson gets presented with many more days like this, he's unlikely to be denied either of those aims. After England's early-season hiccup against Pakistan, Joe Root shelved the bravado after winning his second toss of the summer at Lord's, rightly recognising that an extra day under the covers made bowling first a no-brainer. But even a man with Anderson's experience was surprised by the assistance he was offered.

 

"Honestly, I'd have been so disappointed if I'd messed up today because they were the ideal conditions to bowl in," he said. "The rain yesterday certainly made the decision for us at the toss but we didn't think it'd do that much. It looked a good pitch, dry with a bit of green grass on top, but not too much. It wasn't particularly warm, but warm enough, and that moisture that's in the ground just helped it move around.

 

 

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"Some days it hoops round - they've been quite rare actually - but for us, with the experience we've had of bowling on flat decks and the ball doing nothing, when you get the opportunity like that you lick your lips and try to show off your skills.

 

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"I find it so much fun when it's like that. You don't often get conditions like that in England anymore, when the ball does that much through the air and off the pitch - the biggest thing is not trying to do too much, do too many different things. You just keep your focus, try and bowl good balls and keep hoping they nick them eventually."

 

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Obviously he will say that to ensure we play the same batting line up in all the tests, naughty Jimmy :evil:. Now after the match Kohli will point out these words and say India played extremely well. 

 

Ghanta, even weak rookie teams like Pak, Lanka, WI would have done better than 107 a.o yesterday. We suck in England and current set of batsmen are our worst ever historically speaking. 

 

 

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Just now, Gollum said:

Obviously he will say that to ensure we play the same batting line up in all the tests, naughty Jimmy :evil:. Now after the match Kohli will point out these words and say India played extremely well. 

 

Ghanta, even weak rookie teams like Pak, Lanka, WI would have done better than 107 a.o yesterday. We suck in England and current set of batsmen are our worst ever historically speaking. 

 

 

Absolutely true, however we also have fool of a captain who thinks leading by example is all about scoring runs! A great leader is someone who gets more output than the sum of individual parts, in a team.

Edited by R!TTER
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7 minutes ago, Gollum said:

Obviously he will say that to ensure we play the same batting line up in all the tests, naughty Jimmy :evil:. Now after the match Kohli will point out these words and say India played extremely well. 

 

Ghanta, even weak rookie teams like Pak, Lanka, WI would have done better than 107 a.o yesterday. We suck in England and current set of batsmen are our worst ever historically speaking. 

 

 

Yep, he will try too boost his figures by wanting to bowl against batsman who are averaging below 10 and below 20 this series.No wonder he does not wants a change.

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If Ash-Jaddu roll over some gora team in a home test and give similar statements, that is not because they respect/admire them but because they want a crack at the same set of batsmen the whole series. 2+2? But pretty sure Brat and Bevda will use these sound bites to justify their shitty performance this test. So thanks for that Jimmy...cunning fox :whack:

Edited by Gollum
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4 minutes ago, Gollum said:

If Ash-Jaddu roll over some gora team in a home test and give similar statements, that is not because they respect/admire them but because they want a crack at the same set of batsmen the whole series. 2+2? But pretty sure Brat and Bevda will use these sound bytes to justify their shitty performance this test. So thanks for that Jimmy...cunning fox :whack:

He trolls Aussies the best though.

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Most of these batsmen are 25 - 30 something boys.Easy to flatter. Will keep these batsmen complacent for remainder of this series as well. Make a mince meat again and feed on them.And after series is over will say totally opposite by criticizing that they were so better than the touring team.Very shrewd he is.He's done this against Aussies too.

 

The next we might hear from him is how wonderful this series has been and how nice it would be that India tours England every year so that fans get to see exciting contests between two top ranked teams more frequently.

Edited by Straight Drive
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