James Anderson, the legendary fast bowler from England, is nearing the end of his international cricket journey and reflects fondly on his fierce contests with Sachin Tendulkar throughout his extensive career. Currently playing his 188th Test match for England against the West Indies at Lord’s, Anderson plans to retire following this game.
Despite having dismissed Tendulkar nine times, Anderson admits he never had a specific strategy when facing the Indian cricket icon. "The best batter I would have to say is Sachin Tendulkar," he shared with Sky Sports when asked about the toughest opponent he faced. “I don’t remember having a specific game plan against Sachin Tendulkar. Once he came on, I would just think that I cannot bowl a bad ball here; he was that kind of player."
Anderson acknowledged Tendulkar's significance to the Indian team, noting that dismissing him could shift the entire atmosphere of the match. “He was a key for India as well. If you get him out in India, the whole atmosphere in the ground changes. He was such a big wicket,” he explained.
Both players have made remarkable contributions to cricket, with Tendulkar representing India for 24 years and Anderson setting an impressive standard for fast bowlers, playing Test cricket for 21 years and becoming the first bowler to surpass 700 wickets earlier this year during a tour of India.
Anderson stated that their encounters often resulted in mutual success. “You just try on bowling your best ball, top of off-stump, the whole time and hope he misses a straight one. In England, he might nick the odd one, but generally, I’d try and get him out LBW early,” he remarked. “I had some success against him, but he had success against me as well. He got runs against us quite a lot.”
During his career, Anderson has claimed 149 wickets in 39 Tests against India, achieving six five-wicket hauls. In contrast, Tendulkar scored 2,535 runs in 32 Tests against England, averaging 51.73 with seven centuries and 13 fifties. Anderson also expressed pride in his performance, recalling his 81 runs at Nottingham in July 2014 against India as a highlight. “I am most proud of getting 81 at Trent Bridge against India. I probably should pick a wicket or bowling performance, but getting 81 with the bat is just something I still can’t believe I have done,” he said.
