James Anderson becomes oldest fast bowler to play Test in India

VISAKHAPATNAM — England bowler James Anderson on Friday became the oldest pace bowler to play a Test match on Indian soil, at the age of 41 years and 187 days, during the second Test against India here at Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium.

Anderson after taking the ground shattered the record that had withstood in Test cricket for 72 years. Lala Amarnath, an Indian cricketing legend, held the mantle as the oldest pacer to play a Test in India since 1952.

Amarnath was 41 years and 92 days old when he played his last Test match against Pakistan at Eden Gardens.

Alongside Anderson and Amarnath, the list featured names like Ray Lindwall, Shute Banerjee, and Ghulam Guard, all of whom had left their indelible mark before the cricketing landscape transformed in 1961.

Anderson also became the fifth oldest player to play a Test in India. Zimbabwe player John Traicos has the record by playing at the age of 45 years 304 days in 1993.

Beyond the age-defying records, Anderson’s legacy in Indian conditions extends to another remarkable achievement; the most Test wickets by a visiting bowler on Indian soil. Across three distinct eras of Indian cricket, Anderson’s deliveries have been the nemesis of stalwarts. Across 14 Test matches, Anderson has clinched 35 wickets.

In the era when Sachin Tendulkar wielded his willow, Anderson dismissed Tendulkar nine times, transitioning to the Virat Kohli era, the English speedster claiming the prized wicket of the Indian captain seven times.

Now, in the era of emerging talent, Anderson’s precision troubled the youthful Shubman Gill, claiming his wicket for the fifth time in their cricketing encounters.