WOOD SALUTES GREATS ANDERSON AND BROAD Jimmy is still giving senior service
FOR years, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad have combined to make good England captains great.
And after swapping places in Galle without skipping a beat, skipper Joe Root has found a way to give them the best chance of doing the same for him in this most challenging of years.
Broad, 34, helped set up the first-Test win last week and is now having a rest while his 38-year-old sparring partner hopes to pull off a repeat act.
The pair appear to have taken on their roles as elder statesmen overseas with grace, showing the fight and determination they have always had to remain at the top of the tree.
Whether that willingness to dovetail holds firm in the summer could be another matter though.
Anderson claimed 3-24 yesterday on a punishingly hot opening day as Angelo Mathews’ unbeaten century lifted Sri Lanka to 229-4. At the other end, Mark Wood toiled away and was rewarded with a wicket.
Wood saluted Anderson and Broad, saying: “They’re literally a class above.
“You almost can’t believe at times how good they are until you’re up close to them. World class, no other way to put it.”
Anderson, back in the side for the first time since August, is England’s best and most wily paceman but is never afraid of a bit of hard work.
How else do you get to a career tally of 603 wickets? He said: “The work I put in behind the scenes during the first game has paid off. I felt in good rhythm from ball one and that really helped.
“It was nice to get a couple of early wickets, it does help settle the nerves.” England play India, New Zealand and Australia this year in Tests that can seal Root’s legacy. Wood has always been a whole-hearted express fast bowler, but to see him charge in on the most sluggish of pitches with relentless pace and determination in stifling temperatures was seriously impressive.
“My head got redder and redder, I was absolutely knackered,” he said. “The wicket meant a lot to me though, a lot of relief. “I thought it was never going to happen. I bowled decent in the first game but I was joking with the bowling coach that I will be bowling here in 2054 and I would be 0-3,000.
“So, it is nice to get one and it might be 1-3,000 now. “You just want to do your bit and make a contribution.”