James Anderson. (Photo Source: Twitter)
Day 1 of a Test match in England. The opponents winning the toss and opting to bat. Normally, one would witness the maestro of red-ball fast bowling, James Anderson, take the new ball and trigger his magic right from the get go, tailing the ball in and away.
However, the first Test of the three-match series against Sri Lanka saw Anderson, after retirement, in a different avatar, this time being present at the venue as a spectator. Nothing really changed, though, with all eyes glued to him. The former speedster was present in the capacity of a chief guest, being granted the pristine opportunity of ringing the iconic bell to get the Test match started at his home ground, The Old Trafford. The gleaming Anderson was shown on the big screen of the ground, as the spectators present at the venue rose up from their seats to applaud the legend.
Just a 🐐 ringing the bell to get the Test underway.#ENGvSL pic.twitter.com/Dfbeh48Olr
— England’s Barmy Army 🏴🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) August 21, 2024
The way Anderson proved to be a good luck token for England whenever they’d make their way on the field, Day 1 of the first Test between the England and the Sri Lanka proved no different.
After the first five overs bowled by Chris Woakes and Gus Atkinson went for a total of only five, it was then when three wickets fell in an absolute cluster, as Nishan Madushanka, Dimuth Karunaratne, and Angelo Matthews all got dismissed for cheap scores.
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From that point, the visitors did reasonably well to tackle the new ball, but ended up at 80/5 at Lunch.
Reflecting on Anderson’s stellar Test career, the seasoned seamer scalped a colossal 704 dismissals in just 188 matches. The 42-year-old has well and truly ended his career on an all-time high, ending up as the third-highest wicket-taker in Tests.