Srinagar: The World’s leading Test wicketaker pace bowler England’s James Anderson has his first Test wicket on Pakistan soil.
England travelled to Pakistan after 17 years of gap and veteran James Anderson is the only one to have toured Country before.
At the age of 40, he is still leading the England bowling attack. He made his Test debut in 2003 against Zimbabwe at Lord’s. The England team went on a tour of Pakistan in 2005. Anderson was also in that team. He did not get a chance to play a single match in the three Test series on the tour.
To have his first Test wicket on Pakistan soil England to plan for that it worked out perfectly against Mohammad Rizwan.
James Anderson enticed Rizwan into chipping the ball to the fielder on to give England’s veteran seamer his first ever wicket in Pakistan.
As the bowlers toiled on the flat Rawalpindi pitch, England managed to make inroads towards the end of the day. Rizwan came in with his side 413-4, looking to attack in the final session before stumps.
Having blasted Will Jacks for four boundaries, Ben Stokes decided a different approach would be more profitable to the dangerous wicketkeeper-batter, and opted to bring back his premier seam bowler to try and make the breakthrough.
Anderson opted to go round the wicket and draw Rizwan into playing into the on-side against the trajectory of the ball. Stokes positioned himself at mid-wicket to take the catch if Rizwan was unable to keep the ball on the ground.
The plan worked almost immediately, with Anderson in his second over in the spell. Bowling a full delivery from the angle wide of the crease, Rizwan looked to work through the mid-wicket region, attempting to beat the fielder and pick up a boundary.
He was unable to keep the ball along the floor, however, and ended up chipping to Stokes, who took a good catch low to the ground.
Anderson now has got 668 Test Wickets in his 176th Test Match.
After that Pakistan lost a further wicket before the close of play to finish on 499-7, still 158-runs behind.