CHENNAI: After the crushing defeat at the hands on India in the second Test at Lords none expected England to bounce back in the third Test at Leeds. But veteran English spearhead James Anderson put his experience to effective use by packing the India top-order home and in the process helped his side bundle out India for a paltry 78.
Anderson’s three wicket new-ball burst proved why he is regarded as the best in the business and his bowling was a master class for aspiring fast bowlers. The 39-year old, who accounted for KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara and Virat Kohli, insists that the secret to his longevity in Test cricket lies in cutting down on his time at the nets to save it for the matches. All the three Indian batsman were caught behind by Jos Buttler, a clear indication of lack of technique against the moving ball.
“As I get older, I feel like I have to work that little bit harder in the gym. I feel like I bowl less in the nets, and try to save it for when it matters in the middle. The biggest test in Test cricket is mentally getting yourself up for bowling big spells and playing in big games. It’s about keeping yourself switch on through games and switch off when you are not bowling — that’s something I’ve always had,” revealed the legend.
After the Lords Test victory, Indian skipper Virat Kohli had said that the ‘tension’ in the middle ignited his players to perform exceedingly well to bowl out England under 60 overs and clinch the contest. The Test match was marred by sledging and verbal duels from both sides.
Anderson revealed that after all the talk during the Lord’s Test, the goal at Leeds was to “shut the noise” and focus on the job. “We have made a conscious effort of trying to just focus on us, on what we do well and try and ignore everything else, the outside noise or wherever there might be going on, and make sure there’s a real focus on what we do well,” said Anderson. “I think there was a bit of chat about that. We were just making a point of trying to focus on what we do well,’’ he added.