The outpouring of love from the crowd at The Kia Oval after James Anderson enticed Mitchell Marsh to drag onto his stumps was immense.
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In the morning session, that same crowd were virtually silent as Australia drove their scoring rate into the ground. When the breakthroughs finally came, Anderson was still absent from the wicket-takers. But, as Marsh’s leg stump was flattened, the crowd were raised to their feet in equal parts relief and gratitude.
Less than ten minutes before play started on Day Two, Anderson was still warming up on the outfield. The rest of his teammates had all gone into the dressing room to change into their whites, but Anderson remained, bowling on the practice pitch with spin coach Jeetan Patel acting as keeper, and consulting bowling coach David Saker after every ball.
As he continued to send down ball after ball in the background, the Sky punditry team discussed the significance of today for Anderson’s England future. Before today, his figures for the series read five wickets for 346 runs in seven innings, with an average of 69.2.
“Usually you can put the pitch map on for Jimmy and it’s a shoe box,” said Mark Butcher. “But he was really struggling to find any sort of consistency yesterday, and as a result of that, he didn’t find any of the lateral movement that some of the others found when the lacquer came off the ball.
“He’s not used to being in this position where he can’t make an impact on the game and when people are questioning whether he should be in the side or not.”
Despite the protestations of Anderson himself and the continued backing of Ben Stokes, there’s still reason to prepare for the eventuality that this Test will be his last. The position he’s found himself in during this series is so unfamiliar to any other in his career that the default for those commenting on it is to point towards its end.
As Emma Thompson’s Nanny McPhee said in the eponymous 2005 film: “When you need me but do not want me, then I will stay. But when you want me but do not need me, then I have to go.” McPhee might have had a few years on Anderson back then, but the statement rings true for him too.
For the latter years of his career, Anderson has been desperately needed by England. He’s been called upon to rescue an ever-collapsing batting line-up time after time, and even a whisper of an injury at the start of a marquee series was enough to predict a dire outcome.
At 40, you’re not allowed a bad series. You don’t get the luxury of a couple of mediocre games being given the benefit of the doubt. As Nasser Hussain pointed out on the Sky coverage this morning, many have been trying to retire Anderson for years. But now seems the point where his exit might be most comfortable on all sides. With other options outperforming him and a finally firing batting line-up, that process has been made easier than at any point in the past.
Stokes made it abundantly clear in the run-up to this Test, however, that he still wanted Anderson leading his attack. The ovation he received from the crowd on taking Marsh’s wicket showed they are still hungry for him too. But not at all costs. It’s Anderson at his best they want, zipping past the bat and making breakthroughs under cloudy skies.
There’s a Test match series in India waiting six months down the line if Anderson wants it. Realistically he will continue to play as long as he wants to. Another series win in the toughest conditions cricket has to offer will surely be a huge carrot. He won’t go for many runs – he has been the most economical bowler on either side this series – and the odd wicket here and there can be a valuable return in those conditions.
But now, his Test match addiction should be greater than England’s to him. Where taking out Anderson was once derided as a solution, this summer it was accepted as sensible. That dam is hard to unbreak.
