LOOK OUT , HERE COMES GRANDERSON
As England face their 1000th Test, India are warned that Jimmy, the oldest swinger in town, is still the danger man
JAMES ANDERSON is the oldest swinger in town, but on the eve of England’s 1,000th Test he remains the biggest threat to Virat Kohli’s world domination.
And by the end of an epic fivematch series that starts today at Edgbaston, the performance of a man who has played in 13.8 per cent of them could have the most influence on the result. Just 23 wickets shy of Glenn McGrath’s all-time tally of 563 wickets by a fast bowler, Anderson is heading into his 47th Test series in the rudest of health and form. England’s very own Benjamin Button turned 36 on Monday, but rather than slowing down he is taking wickets faster than ever with 2017 his best year on record. He took Kohli’s wicket five times out of 10 in 2014 as the India skipper suffered a horrible series and, if England are to succeed again, then they will need more of the same from the Burnley Express. “It’s hard to explain how good he is,” said skipper Joe Root. “He’s got so many tricks and is very consistent. He’s a proven world-class performer, especially in these conditions. He looks strong, he looks fit. As long as that’s the case, I imagine him to continue playing for a really long time.
“From our perspective, we would love similar form for Virat as he had last time but we know how good a player he is and what he is capable of.
“But it fills me with confidence having Jimmy in the side, knowing you have someone of that quality leading your attack.
“He’s still going to be a massive part of driving the team forward for the next few years in particular.
“He’s determined to play as much cricket as he can for as long as he can.”
Kohli (above) is the best Test batsman in the world right now, but his lack of runs in England sticks out like a sore thumb, even if he is trying not to let it get to him. “I’m not in the frame of mind to prove myself in any country,” he said. “I just want to perform for the team, score runs for the team, and take Indian cricket forward and that’s my only motive.” Root has taken the vice-captaincy away from Anderson in this series and given it to Jos Buttler just two games into his return to Test cricket in a sign that England are looking to turn a corner after a difficult winter Down Under. It is in keeping with the boldness of their selection of Adil Rashid, and whether they admit it or not, the success of Eoin Morgan’s whiteball revolution is rubbing off on the Test side. Root added: “It’s a chance for us as a group to grab a core group of players who are playing across all formats to drive this team in a better direction than we have been going.”