Jimmy Anderson was quite thrilled with himself after the second day at Lord’s, and you couldn’t begrudge him that.
His 5-20 in 13.2 overs was a masterclass in swing bowling, and it helped skittle India out for 107 in just 35.2 overs. The overcast conditions suited him perfectly, of course, and his virtuoso display earned plaudits from the world over.
Anderson got on the Lord’s honours board for the sixth time in 23 appearances – only Ian Botham, with eight mentions, has been featured on the board more. It was his 26th five-wicket haul in Tests, and it took him up to 549 wickets in 140 Tests.
As it turned out, Chris Woakes did what Anderson couldn’t and visibly troubled Kohli. He, in fact, got the ball to swing more than Anderson, and the Indian captain was soon dismissed for a 57-ball 23.
He returned 2-19 in what was a fine comeback to the England XI. “He (Woakes) has worked really hard, he’s still been around the squad the last few weeks, and missed out last week,” said Anderson.
“He’s a world-class performer on his day. We’ve seen it before, all round the world, one-day cricket, Test match cricket – he’s a brilliant bowler, a brilliant all-rounder, and someone who can do a fantastic job for this team.
“We’re just delighted for him. That first game back can always be tricky, especially when you’ve got world-class batsmen to come up against – but he handled the task brilliantly.”
