Anderson had announced his retirement some time back, with the Lord's Test supposed to be his last. Anticipation for the legendary pacer's swansong grew as the Test approached.
As the players from both teams walked out for the national anthems, Anderson led the way for England, with the capacity crowd at Lord's standing on its feet to applaud the second-most capped Test cricketer. Anderson's daughters Ruby and Lola rung the five-minute bell, while the rest of his family was also present in the stands.
Earlier, Ben Stokes had won the toss and elected to field first, meaning Anderson got the opportunity to make the first play of the game as he was, unsurprisingly, given the first over of the Test match.
Watch James Anderson get a standing ovation as he leads England out for his last Test
James Anderson leads out England ahead of his final Test match for England 🏴🙌 pic.twitter.com/TOtTQnpb9l
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) July 10, 2024
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