New Delhi, July 14: Days after retiring from Test cricket, veteran England pacer James Anderson said that it was hard for him to put his emotions into words.
Anderson ended his final Test for England with figures of 1/26 and 3/32 across both innings. After making his debut at the Lord’s in 2003, Anderson ended his illustrious career with 704 Test wickets behind the iconic spin duo Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). The star pacer got to go out on high with a win by an inning and 114 runs. In all of international cricket, Anderson brought down the curtains on his 22-year career with 991 international wickets.
On Instagram, Anderson said that it was ‘overwhelming’ for him to see the reaction of the fans at Lord’s. He added that it was an unforgettable week for him.
“Hard to put into words the emotions that I felt this week. It was pretty overwhelming to see and hear the reactions of people on the ground. A truly unforgettable week. The atmosphere was as good as I’ve experienced at Lords. Thank you for making it so memorable x,” Anderson wrote on Instagram.
Recapping the first Test match between England and the West Indies, Anderson took the first wicket of the day at Lord’s sending back Joshua Da Silva to all but put an end to West Indies’ fight.
But while Anderson showcased his wares one final time, there was Gus Atkinson, on Test debut, who etched his name onto the Lord’s honours board with a ten-wicket haul – a proper handing over of the baton if ever there was one.
Earlier, England had taken a big first-inning lead, with five batters crossing the half-century mark in a total of 371. Gus Atkinson’s seven-wicket haul had helped bowl the West Indies out for 121 on day one of the Test match.
With a 250-run lead in the bag, England seamers fired away on day two to reduce the West Indies to six wickets down by stumps. While Atkinson once again shone, Anderson set the tone with a peach that seamed back in to castle Kraigg Brathwaite as the Three Lions beat the West Indies by an innings and 114 runs on Friday. (ANI)
