Sanjay Manjrekar applauded England’s veteran pacer, James Anderson, for delivering an economical spell on a placid pitch during the first day of the second Test at Vizag. James Anderson bowled impeccable lines & lengths and made sure that he didn’t give ample room to the batters.
On this day, Anderson, aged 41, entered the record books as the oldest pace bowler to play in India. Despite India maintaining a scoring rate of 3.61 runs per over in their first innings, Anderson bowled 17 overs while conceding just 30 runs, maintaining an economy rate of less than two. James Anderson continued his dominance over Shubman Gill, dismissing the Indian batter for the fifth time in Tests. Gill fell victim to a probing delivery, nicking it to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
James Anderson is a reminder of the legacy of great fast bowlers- Sanjay Manjrekar
Expressing his admiration for Anderson, Sanjay Manjrekar, during an interaction with ESPN Cricinfo at the end of Day 1, compared the veteran pacer to legendary bowlers of the past, emphasizing the impact he has had on the game.
“He is a reminder of the legacy of great fast bowlers we had over the years. He is right at the end of his career, yet, on a pitch that had nothing for him, he had the Indian batters beaten outside off stump. Eventually getting a batter (Gill) caught by the keeper. That is a very rare thing to happen on Indian pitches,” said Sanjay Manjrekar.
The cricketer-turned-commentator also commended how Ben Stokes and England used Anderson saying,
“He showed his class and the economy tells you how accurate he is as a bowler. And I love the way England uses him. We think he is not bowling enough these days but he is not playing enough. But when he actually plays, he bowls a lot of overs. In the first session, he bowled eight overs and immediately bowled another three post Lunch. That’s a nice way to use a great bowler, wherein when he plays, the opposition batters will get the full brunt of that greatness,” he added.
James Anderson has an outstanding record against India in Test cricket, holding the record for the most Test wickets against them with 140 dismissals. His average against India is an impressive 24.93, and he has managed to take six five-wicket hauls. Even in challenging Indian conditions, Anderson has performed well, claiming 35 wickets in 14 Tests at an average of 29.34.
Every time you see James Anderson bowl, It’s a bit of a blast from the past– Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar paid the ultimate tribute to James Anderson, describing the England pacer’s performances as a throwback to the golden era of Test cricket. Anderson, at 41, is the third-highest wicket-taker in Test history with 691 dismissals in 184 matches, trailing only the legendary spinners Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
“Every time you see Anderson bowl, it’s a bit of a blast from the past when Test cricket was at its highest. There was quality all over the World with the West Indies in the 1980s and then under Mark Taylor the Australians, along with Pakistan and India who had their moments,” said Sanjay Manjrekar.
Despite James Anderson’s impressive bowling display on Day 1, Team India finished at a formidable 336/6 in 93 overs. The veteran Lancashire-born cricketer had missed the opening Test, which England won by 28 runs, giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.