The game was meandering along, like a Test match usually does in the second session of the first day. It was a languid December afternoon in Kolkata and Sachin Tendulkar was batting on 76. The start was a tad nervy, but Tendulkar played himself in. James Anderson was bowling his third spell and running in from the Club House end at Eden Gardens.
The first ball after the drinks break pitched on a length and shaped away, negating the fact that the shiny side was outside. Tendulkar was deceived. He came half-forward but could only manage a healthy edge behind the stumps. He was gone. Anderson had reversed the reverse.
A special delivery was needed to dismiss the great when he looked set for a hundred, and Anderson had produced one. On Friday, as the legendary England fast bowler called time on his Test career, his dismissal of Tendulkar 12 years ago came to mind, as it flew in the faces of those who took Anderson’s achievements with a pinch of salt — ‘he loses his mojo outside England’.
Anderson finished his Test career with a staggering 704 wickets from 188 matches, and 244 of those scalps were taken on the road. Yes, his average away from home — 30.66 — is higher than his career average of 26.45, but Anderson became a completely different bowler after he crossed 30, when he started to enjoy a second wind.
And as he bade adieu, cricketers and fans from all over the world tipped their hats. Tendulkar led the tribute. “Hey Jimmy!” the master batsman posted on his X (the erstwhile Twitter) handle. “You’ve bowled the fans over with that incredible 22-year spell. Here’s a little wish as you bid goodbye. It has been a joy to watch you bowl — with that action, speed, accuracy, swing and fitness. You’ve inspired generations with your game. Wish you a wonderful life ahead with good health and happiness as you put those new shoes on for the most important spell of your life — the time with family.”
It was a case of ‘GOAT’ recognising ‘GOAT’, for only a day ago, Anderson had called Tendulkar the best to bowl to. “The best batter I would have to say is Sachin Tendulkar,” the veteran fast bowler told Sky Sports. “I don’t remember having a specific game plan against Sachin Tendulkar. Once he came on, I would just think that I cannot bowl a bad ball here. He was that kind of player.”
Anderson had a bit of a wood over Tendulkar, as he dismissed the maestro on nine occasions. At the same, though, Tendulkar had seven centuries and 13 half-centuries against England. Actually, it was an even contest.
After the first Test against West Indies, as Sky played a montage of his best moments, Anderson said: “My feet are killing me.” He walked to a guard of honour on the final day of his Test career, and it was emotional. “I got a little bit emotional walking onto the field, when the two teams were lined up,” he said. And Anderson made an honest confession that he couldn’t quite dominate the Ashes. “I didn’t completely nail Ashes cricket. Maybe, I was trying too hard at times.”
Anderson was still good enough to continue. But England chose to look at the future. A new pacer needs a proper bedding-in period ahead of the next year’s Ashes and Gus Atkinson’s 12-wicket match haul on his debut was a promising start.