The Jimmy Anderson show ends

Ninth West Indies wicket unspooled by a brilliant yorker, Gus Atkinson couldn’t have missed the stumps with his eyes closed. But Ben Stokes went up to him trying to keep a straight face, whispered something and the next ball was down the leg, Atkinson’s first in the entire innings. Next ball, dead straight and short. Last ball, again down the leg. Hold on, this looks familiar. Maybe it was Anderson’s destiny to finish his career on 704 wickets, but you can’t fault Stokes for trying to orchestrate a wicket farewell.

Nearly happened too, with Anderson getting a return catch from Gudakesh Motie—almost a parting gift really—but he couldn’t hold onto it, drawing sharp gasps and moans from a fixated Lord’s crowd. Catch spilled, all Anderson could manage was a sheepish smile. “One-handerson”, sighed Barmy Army on their social media a minute later. “I’m gutted I dropped that catch, to be honest,” said Anderson later inside the Lord’s changing room, enjoying a pint of Guinness. “It’s been an amazing week, I’ve been quite overwhelmed with the reaction, proud of what I’ve achieved.”

“He’s 41 and always looking to improve himself as a bowler,” said Stokes. “He wants to always contribute to the team and every single time he’s walked onto a field for England, he’s done that.”

Sachin Tendulkar led the wishes for Anderson on social media. “It has been a joy to watch you bowl—with that action, speed, accuracy, swing and fitness. You’ve inspired generations with your game,” Tendulkar wrote on X.

An end is named after him at Manchester but Lord’s is where Anderson’s heart is. So, it was only fair that he played his final game here, in the presence of his family and friends, entering the turf to a guard of honour from both teams and walking out doffing his cap to the applause. Stuart Broad—his oldest and most trusted mate—showed up; Nasser Hussain—his first captain—interviewed him inside the changing room after the game ended.

“It has been different emotions, been so up and down. Saw my girls ring a bell on day one. Walking out today with both teams lined up again was pretty emotional. I forgot what I was actually trying to do with the ball,” Anderson said after the game. “I’m still trying to hold them (tears) back now, but I think I’m just really proud of playing for 20-odd years. It is an incredible effort, especially for a fast bowler. I’m just happy that I’ve made it this far. Happy that I’ve been lucky enough to stay injury-free pretty much throughout my career. And yeah, play for England. It’s the best job in the world, so I’ve been privileged to be able to do it for a long time.”

The weightage of a 188-Test career doesn’t land properly till you are told Anderson finished with 384 wickets in England victories—one more than the aggregate of England’s previous highest wicket-taker, Ian Botham.

“I’ve been lucky to play with some amazing players,” Anderson said. “Some of the most talented cricketers that have ever played the game, but more importantly, some really good blokes and some friends that I’ve made for life. And it is a really special sport. I think no other sport creates this sort of atmosphere, these sorts of friendships, and part of me is a little bit jealous of these lads (who) get to experience that for the next few years.”

But the hint of relief that retirement unwraps was unmistakable too. “I feel about 55 after the overs I’ve bowled this week,” said Anderson, 41. “The aches and pains that you wake up with, I think I’ll miss them. But I feel really fortunate.” Joining the England coaching set-up as mentor, Anderson isn’t going anywhere any time soon. “I’m going to stick around with these guys for the rest of the summer, try and help the bowling group out as much as I can and we’ll see where life takes us after that.”

Till then, marvel at a monumental career summarised perfectly in the classic dismissal of Joshua Da Silva, Anderson’s lone wicket of the day. Ball angling in, only to shape away and steal an edge—this was Anderson’s career rolled into a single highlights reel.

It almost relegated to a footnote an otherwise historic display from Atkinson, taking 5/61 and match figures of 12/106—the best by an Englishman on Test debut since 1890. Atkinson couldn’t help a sheepish smile when Ben Duckett caught Jayden Seales—the last wicket—on the edge of the deep midwicket boundary, denying his idol a wicket-farewell like Broad. But a content Anderson was the first to run and hug him. An era had come to a close. The torch has been passed.