Jimmy Anderson has been named in England’s side for the Fourth Test against Australia in Manchester, replacing Ollie Robinson in the XI. But will Old Trafford mark the final time we see one of the all-time greats turn out for England?
Recalling him seems like the sensible option. He’s taken 37 wickets in 10 Test matches in Manchester and consistently performs at Old Trafford, even having the ‘James Anderson End’ named after him. Having the experience of England’s all-time leading wicket taker could prove vital for Ben Stokes as we move into the key end of this Ashes series after resting him for the win in Leeds.
The move also makes sense given Robinson had injury issues at Headingley and was unable to bowl after his back spasms. Having been given the chance to take a breath, Anderson will hopefully return at the top of his game, but given what we saw in the first two Tests, that may not happen.
In the thriller at Edgbaston he took one wicket for 109 runs across 38 brutal overs. Afterwards, the seamer even admitted he didn’t enjoy bowling those overs. “I didn’t enjoy one of them,” he said. “It wasn’t my favourite Test match to play in, to be honest. Obviously you want to contribute to the team and I just didn’t feel like it was my best week.”
At Lord’s, despite beneficial conditions for England, Anderson took two wickets for 117 runs in 39 overs as England came up short again with the bat. The fact that England lost the two Tests that Anderson has played in and won the one he was rested for is partly circumstantial, but it also points to a future which doesn’t include their greatest ever bowler.
With Stuart Broad still fit and firing and the supporting cast of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes in good form in the Third Test, England have enough power to not rely on Anderson as much as they used to. You simply can’t rely on a 40-year-old to spearhead your attack, even one as reliable and talented as the Lancastrian.
This brings us to the Fourth Test, which gets underway on Wednesday at Old Trafford. England have to win to have any hope of winning the series but, unfortunately, it looks as though the weather will seriously impact proceedings. It is set to rain every single day, with only short breaks in the cloud on a couple of the afternoons. It means a draw is 16/5 with Betfred, and that is a result that would see Australia retain the Ashes - again.
Brendon McCullum would hate for the series to end that way, so you can expect an even more aggressive version of Bazball whenever it isn’t pouring with rain. There’s two ways of looking at this for Anderson. If he gets the ball in hand in overcast conditions, he could cause huge damage to the Aussie order. Or, he could be left frustrated on the sidelines as the chance to win what is likely to be his final Ashes disappears.
If play is constantly disrupted and England lose the series, he could play again at The Oval. However, if England lose at Old Trafford, Stokes may well decide to move in a different direction and look to the future. We are clearly nearing the end, but when the end comes we have to know with finality as Anderson deserves the greatest send-off.
The dream of him hitting the winning runs, or taking the final wicket in an Ashes win is slowly diminishing from view. So giving him the send-off at Old Trafford, the ground where he is most revered, would feel like a suitable goodbye to England’s greatest ever fast bowler.
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