The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
There’s still more to come from Anderson
CRICKET: Bairstow backs legendary seamer to break alltime bowling record
England wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow had the best seat in the house for James Anderson’s Lord’s masterclass and expects the seamer to push for a prestigious record at another happy hunting ground this week.
The 36-year-old continues to defy his years, turning in one of the best performances of his career in the second Test demolition of India.
Anderson had match figures of nine for 43, while also becoming the first player to take 100 wickets at Lord’s.
His control of the swinging ball has arguably never been better and, with no discernible drop in pace and recent shoulder problems seemingly at an end, nobody in the England set-up is putting a timescale on his eventual exit.
Instead of plotting retirement he heads to Nottingham this week just 10 wickets behind Australian great Glenn McGrath, the most prolific pace bowler in history with 563 scalps.
“Just take that last game at Lord’s... nine wickets for 43 runs. There’s no reason he can’t keep going, body permitting,” said Bairstow.
“His stats are speaking for themselves and there’s potential for him to break every record going for a seamer, I don’t think he’s too far off.”
Anderson will expect to make inroads into McGrath’s slim lead when the third Test begins on Saturday.
The Lancastrian already has 60 scalps at Trent Bridge – 19 more than closest challenger Alec Bedser – and Bairstow is looking forward to watching a master at work again.
“It’s great fun, you’re always in the game,” he said.
“It’s fun until he throws the big inducker in and you’re not expecting it so it goes for four byes.
“I think a lot of batsmen would like to know which way the ball is swinging when it’s Jimmy but I don’t think he gives you too many clues.
“It’s literally a case of him slightly changing his action and wrist position. He doesn’t drop his left shoulder when he bowls the inswinger like a lot of bowlers tend to do. That’s what makes him so lethal and so dangerous in England.”
Indian batsmen may be crossing their fingers for an end to their travails against Anderson and his new-ball partner Stuart Broad, whose career-best figures of eight for 15 in the Ashes came at his home venue, but Bairstow offers them no succour.
“You can’t tell when it’s going to wobble and when it’s not, but Trent Bridge is notoriously somewhere it does wobble,” he said.
“Both Jimmy and Stuart will be licking
“His stats are speaking for themselves and there’s potential for him to break every record going for a seamer.
JONNY BAIRSTOW
their lips when it comes to the next Test. They’ve got the skills to move the ball both ways against all of their batsmen and what a skill that is to have in the armoury.”
Meanwhile, former England captain Nasser Hussain believes Ben Stokes should go straight back into the Test team as long as he feels ready.
Stokes was cleared of affray on Tuesday after a week-long case at Bristol Crown Court, relating to a late-night fight in the city following last September’s one-day international against the West Indies.
He was quickly added to England’s squad for the third Test and Hussain told Sky Sports News: “As long as (coach Trevor) Bayliss and (captain Joe) Root feel that, mentally, Stokes is ready for selection they should pick him.
“Ben is most comfortable, most happy, playing cricket for England. If he says he is available, Joe – who knows him well – will want him back.”
Stokes’ recall is not certain, however. England enjoyed a dominant win without him in the second Test at Lord’s with his understudy Chris Woakes playing a starring role with 137 runs and match figures of four for 43.
Stokes and his ODI team-mate Alex Hales, who was also involved in the incident in Bristol but was not charged, could still face disciplinary action after the England and Wales Cricket Board confirmed a probe by the Cricket Discipline Commission can now re-open.