James Anderson: Aligning the stars at Headingley

Sri Lanka boarded the flight to England with hope. In the back of the selectors and Angelo Mathews’ minds, there would have been a sense of optimism. The might just win, though Sanath Jayasuriya, who himself has had more than one memorable knock in England. ‘They are a world class bowling attack,’ he said. Yet, at the back of his mind, he knew he was sending them into the lion’s den.

The tour matches exposed some frailties in the Lankans adapting to the conditions. However, 31-year old James Anderson was the wrecker-in-chief as he claimed 10 of the Lankan wickets that fell. The overcast conditions were certainly playing a part and Anderson was exploiting it to the fullest. The red cherry as it was called was moving so viciously. Jimmy Anderson was a snake charmer. So much was the control he had on the ball, that it moved where he wanted it to move.

The art of swing was something Anderson picked up in India of all places. I distinctly remember him stating in an interview that it was Zaheer Khan who showed him the art of reverse swing. Zak only ‘showed’ it to him, but it was Anderson who perfected it and made it his own. The way the ball was moving against the bamboozled Lankans was almost poetic. The late movement, hiding the shine and bowling at a teasing pace averaging 85 miles an hour is something simply extraordinary.

Anderson’s bowling at Headingley, although can be patented as his own, had a bit of consistency to it. It was almost like watching the legendary Glenn McGrath bowling. For me, McGrath is a player who is quintessentially a bowling machine. He bowls the same line and the same length over and over again. And somehow, the batsman falls prey to the swing and the change of pace. On the 21^st of May 2016, we weren’t watching cricket unfold at Headingley. We were watching a tune at the opera. It was the best display of swing bowling I have ever seen. Jarrod Kimber, a reputed Australian journalist called it an ‘artful’ performance.

Many compared this moment in Test cricket to the exploits of Bob Massie all those years ago in Lords 1972. It was the Ashes, the occasion itself had been taken to astounding pressure levels. And there was Bob Massie, making his debut for Australia. There was not much special about Massie. He was a regularly built bloke. Perhaps the absence of the ‘era-appropriate’ moustache replaced by his so called ‘perfection’ sideburns was all that separated him from the rest of the blokes in the Australian uniform.

Although I was never born to witness that performance, many people dubbed it ‘Massie’s Massacre’. One of the best bowlers to have played, Dennis Lillee also went on to state that it was the best piece of swing bowling he’d ever seen. Through the black and white highlights reel of the British Pathe channel, I had begun to understand what Lillee had meant. The late movement from the Lord’s wicket made it unplayable for the England players. They weren’t Mickey Mouse players. Geoff Boycott, Brian Luckhurst, Basil D’Oliviera, and Tony Grieg are some of the names etched in cricket’s vast and golden history. Yet, they had no answer to the swing bowling of Massie.

The day-dreaming stopped momentarily as I glanced back at the television set to watch Anderson charging into a bowl. He was far from Massie in terms of looks. He resembled a look of a good man. Combed hair and a clean shave certainly stood out from the visible flock of chest hair and dashing sideburns. Anderson didn’t need a swagger. In a better context, the swagger was the way he bowled. That would be enough for him.

Whether you are a fan of English cricket or not, you will remember the curve of Anderson’s bowling. You may not even like him, especially after what he did to Ravindra Jadeja. You may even argue with the fact that Anderson is best while bowling in home conditions. Yes, I completely agree with you, but the way that ball curves after he has released it is something special. For the average cricket fan, it is something certainly unforgettable. You may not like him, but you cannot forget him. An outswinger from Anderson is much more than just a delivery. It is an experience.

Jonny Bairstow’s 140 had become the epitome of England’s first Test. Already, they had become synonymous with the red-headed wicket-keeping batsman who had led them out of the woods following debutante Dasun Shanaka. While Shanaka had already enhanced his reputation, the spell from Jimmy Anderson was coming. You just knew it. Inside England and with the red cherry in hand, Anderson is simply unstoppable.

Dimuth Karunaratne and Kaushal Silva walked out to bat with a sinister smile on their face. Maybe it was perhaps they were overconfident. They had good reason to be as well. Their bowlers had reduced the mighty English to less than 300. However, after the first over from Jimmy Anderson, that smile was wiped off their faces. Stuart Broad, who provided a perfect foil for the unbelievable Anderson removed Karunaratne first. The fourth delivery of the fourth over finally yielded some Anderson magic. He had bowled three in-swingers to Silva. The fourth one was an out-swinger and an edge saw it enter the impregnable cusp of the gloves of Jonny Bairstow.

And just like that, Jimmy Anderson’s swing did the talking. Batsmen sporting the SLC logo on their hearts and helmets walked back into the dressing room with monotonous regularity. Anderson wasn’t sledging anyone. Neither was he even saying anything to the batsmen. He was just sending them back with his string ball, setting up the batsmen and picking up wickets at will. He and only he can accomplish this.

5/16 from Anderson’s 11 overs and Karnuaratne and Silva found themselves back to bat yet again on the same day. The third day and Anderson were all over them once again. He hadn’t shifted from first gear as well. He was toying with them. It was almost as if there was a line of Lankan players waiting outside the door of the dressing room waiting to be dismissed by Anderson. 5/30 from the 31-year old and just like that, England had won the first Test.

People and pundits may say that it was perfect conditions or the Lankan batting lineup was ‘mediocre’. However, Jimmy Anderson also wasn’t anywhere near his best. He was in either first or second gear, yet, he finished the match with 10-45. That simply gets my imagination going.

Jonny Bairstow may have won the man of the match award. But, James Anderson was the hero. Once again, to quote Jarrod Kimber, “Greatness is subjective. Art is subjective. Ten for 45 is objective, and in this match, it produced great art.”