 "James Anderson")
It is not very often that a fast bowler would get to headline the second day of a Test in India, and that too on a supposedly spin-friendly venue like Visakhapatnam. But James Anderson is different and continues to remain so after picking up three wickets and closing on his 700th Test wicket on Saturday in Visakhapatnam.
Playing in his 184th Test, Anderson at the age of 41 years and 187 days, became the oldest pacer to play a Test on Indian soil. He beat the record of India's Lala Amarnath, who played against Pakistan at 41 years 92 days at Eden Gardens, Kolkata in December 1952.
Check India vs England 2nd Test Day 4 live cricket score and match updates
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Check India vs England 2nd Test Day 4 live cricket score and match updates
Check India vs England 2nd Test Day 3 highlights here
Not just the oldest cricketer, but Anderson is also the second-highest wicket-taker among overseas pacers in Asian conditions, picking 85 wickets in his 29th Test in Asia at an average of 26.39. He is just behind South African great Dale Steyn, who got 92 wickets in just 22 Tests in Asia.
| Most experienced pacers | |||
| Minimum 50 wickets in Asia | |||
| Name | Matches | Wickets | Average |
| James Anderson | 29 | 85 | 26.39 |
| Dale Steyn | 22 | 92 | 24.12 |
| Glenn McGrath | 19 | 72 | 23.03 |
| Malcolm Marshall | 19 | 71 | 23.06 |
| Courtney Walsh | 17 | 77 | 20.53 |
| Shaun Pollock | 17 | 60 | 23.18 |
| Tim Southee | 17 | 58 | 26.5 |
| Mitchell Starc | 17 | 52 | 30.42 |
| Trent Boult | 17 | 50 | 31.7 |
Maiden overs king
The Lancashire pacer is more about discipline and less about flamboyance. It has been his mantra for cricket and is probably the reason why he has 693 scalps and played 184 Tests, the most for any Englishman. It is the same mantra which has given him success in Indian conditions.
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Anderson, who bowled four maidens in his 25-over spell in this innings to get rid of the likes of Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ravichandran Ashwin, has bowled the highest percentage of maidens overs among all touring bowlers. The Burnley-born has bowled nearly 27 per cent of all his overs on the Indian oil as maiden overs since 2010. He has played 11 Tests since that timeline and soars ahead of even spinners like Nathan Lyon and Graeme Swann.
Players with Most Maiden Overs in India in Tests
Players with Most Maiden Overs in India in Tests
Still swinging it like a banana
They say if you are an outswing bowler the ball should shape like a banana after pitching. Say pitching on the middle and leg stump and then clipping the top of the off stump. Anderson showed that even at nearly 42 years of age, he could swing it like a banana when he got the first wicket on the morning of Day 2.
Also Read: IND-ENG: Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes 3rd youngest Indian to score double ton
Also Read: IND-ENG: Yashasvi Jaiswal becomes 3rd youngest Indian to score double ton
With the new SG ball in his hand, he got Ashwin caught behind with the ball that came in with the angle in the air and then pitched on middle and leg and took a faint edge off Ashwin’s bat, kissing his pads on its way to the keeper. Ashwin could not believe that he nicked it, but reviews showed that he did. Anderson bowled many such balls to Jaiswal too, but the left-hander was lucky enough to survive that morning spell. He eventually got out, but not to a swinging banana.
In the Elite List
With three wickets in the first innings, Anderson also entered the list of overseas bowlers with the most number of wickets on Indian soil. He now has 37 wickets in his 14th Test in India and stands at the 10th position in a list dominated by Australian Lyon.
Overseas Bowlers with Most Wickets against India
Overseas Bowlers with Most Wickets against India
| Player | Country | Matches | Wickets | BBI | BBM | Average | ER | 5W/10W |
| Nathan Lyon | AUS | 11 | 56 | 8/50 | 11/99 | 27.35 | 3.16 | 5/1 |
| Derek Underwood | ENG | 16 | 54 | 5/84 | 9/173 | 26.51 | 2.03 | 1/0 |
| Richie Benaud | AUS | 8 | 52 | 7/72 | 11/105 | 18.38 | 1.94 | 5/1 |
| Courtney Walsh | WI | 7 | 43 | 6/79 | 9/94 | 18.55 | 2.87 | 3/0 |
| Muttiah Muralidaran | SL | 11 | 40 | 7/100 | 8/218 | 45.45 | 3.16 | 2/0 |
| Lance Gibbs | WI | 9 | 39 | 7/98 | 9/143 | 23.38 | 1.84 | 3/0 |
| Wes Hall | WI | 8 | 38 | 6/50 | 11/126 | 20.94 | 2.7 | 2/1 |
| John Lever | ENG | 8 | 37 | 7/46 | 10/70 | 19.75 | 2.74 | 3/1 |
| Andy Roberts | WI | 7 | 37 | 7/64 | 12/121 | 19.81 | 2.77 | 3/1 |
| James Anderson | ENG | 14 | 37 | 4/40 | 6/79 | 29.2 | 2.65 | 0/0 |
