England vs Pakistan: All eyes on James Anderson as he closes in on 600 Test wickets

James Anderson saw an early chance dropped by Jos Buttler on the fourth morning of the third Test against Pakistan
Getty Images
Will Macpherson24 August 2020

James Anderson took the field for England at the Ageas Bowl on Monday morning requiring just two more wickets to become the first fast bowler in Test history to take 600.

Despite a poor forecast for the final two days of the Test summer, play got under way at 11am, with England hunting 10 Pakistan wickets to win the series 2-0.

Anderson took five for 56 - the 29th five-wicket haul of his 17-year Test career - in Pakistan’s first innings.

The tourists made 273 in response to England’s epic 583 for eight declared and were asked to follow on by England skipper Joe Root, although the light was too poor for their second innings to begin after 7pm last night.

Last night, Pakistan captain Azhar Ali, who made a brilliant, defiant unbeaten 143 in the first innings, walked out to bat, but as the umpires had not called “Play”, he did not need to open this morning and will return to his familiar no3 spot.

Despite the new policy of flexible start times, the match officials opted not to start today’s play 30 minutes early at 10.30am, because of the poor forecast for the morning. But the rain never came, so the original start time of 11am was used.

This is England’s last Test of the summer and the date and location of their next fixture is yet to be organised, due to the coronavirus pandemic, so should Anderson - who has played more Tests than any other fast bowler - fail to take two of the 10 available Pakistan wickets, he may have to wait some time for another opportunity.

“He’s England’s greatest,” said spinner Dom Bess. “Myself, Dom Sibley, Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley have all grown up watching him play and I guess it’s phenomenal to stand there at point watching him nick people off and hit people on the shins.

“There was chat about potential retirement [after Old Trafford] and then he comes back and absolutely tears it up. That just shows how good he is.”

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