Jimmy’s winning the dashes
ANDERSON: I’M OBSESSED WITH USA SPRINT LEGEND LEWIS
JAMES ANDERSON hit ‘the big three-zero’ as he continued to set the gold standard for bowlers, with a fresh demolition of Sri Lanka.
And Anderson revealed how the winner of nine Olympic gold medals has been his latest inspiration – as the old seamer closes in on ‘the big four-zero’ too.
USA long-jump and sprint king Carl Lewis is the unlikely model for Anderson’s ongoing fight to keep one jump ahead of the rest with a ball in his hand.
Anderson’s 6-40 on day two of the Second Test was his 30th five-wicket haul of an astonishing Test career – he is still rewriting the record books at 38.
And after becoming the oldest seam bowler to take a five-wicket haul on the subcontinent, the veteran England paceman revealed just how much attention to detail and hunger for improvement it takes for him to continue excelling, after so long at the top.
“It was rocket-hot out there so to get the rewards certainly feels good,” said Anderson. “But I don’t think I’m surprising myself.
“I don’t see why I can’t keep improving just because I’m getting older. The more work you do, the more effort you put in, the more rewards you get generally.
“I’ve worked really hard on my fitness in the last 12 months, the lockdowns have actually helped that quite a bit.
“I’m working on stuff like running technique, to make me quicker.
“I am obsessed with Carl Lewis at the minute, watching him run. I don’t know if you can yet see a similarity with me chasing the ball to the boundary!
“It’s about trying to take pressure off my body. If I have got good technique doing stuff then hopefully muscle injuries don’t come around as much as they might do as you get older.”
It is not just about health and fitness though where Anderson is concerned.
The skills he continues to develop are second to none, such as the off-cutter he produced to deny Niroshan Dickwella a maiden Test ton when he had him caught in the covers for 92.
Sri Lanka were able
to reach 381 before Sam Curran wrapped up the innings, with Dilruwan Perera the last man out for 67.
All 10 Sri Lanka wickets were captured by seamers, with Mark Wood’s 3-84 a well-deserved triumph for gut-busting effort.
Not since England bowled out Bangladesh in 2003 have all 10 wickets fallen to seam bowlers in Asia – and this was the first time it had been done in Sri Lanka.
England surely cannot rely on their pacemen for the four matches in India where the pitches are likely to be just as flat. They will need the spinners adding pressure and control.
Dom Bess and Jack Leach were unable to offer either in the first innings, going for a combined 195 runs from 64 overs.
England openers Dom Sibley and Zak Crawley went cheaply again in reply, – but skipper Joe Root (left) came to the rescue, and was 67 not out at the close yesterday.