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Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar praised England pacer James Anderson for a miserly spell on a docile pitch on Day 1 of the second Test at Vizag.
On a day when the 41-year-old became the oldest pace bowler to take the field in India, he kept the Indian batters in check throughout his spell. Despite India scoring at 3.61 runs per over in their first innings, Anderson bowled 17 overs and conceded only 30 runs at an economy of under two.
The champion pacer also dismissed Shubman Gill for the fifth time in Tests. The batter nicked a probing delivery to keeper Ben Foakes.
Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo at Stumps on Day 1, Manjrekar showered massive praise on Anderson by stating that the ace pacer brings back memories of the legendary bowlers of the past.
"He is a reminder of the legacy of great fast bowlers we had over the years. He is right at the end of his career, yet, on a pitch that had nothing for him, he had the Indian batters beaten outside off stump. Eventually getting a batter (Gill) caught by the keeper. That is a very rare thing to happen on Indian pitches," said Manjrekar.
Manjrekar also praised England's effective use of Anderson by saying:
"He showed his class and the economy tells you how accurate he is as a bowler. And I love the way England uses him. We think he is not bowling enough these days but he is not playing enough. But when he actually plays, he bowls a lot of overs. In the first session, he bowled eight overs and immediately bowled another three post Lunch. That's a nice way to use a great bowler, wherein when he plays, the opposition batters will get the full brunt of that greatness."
Anderson holds the record for the most Test wickets against India (140) and averages an impressive 24.93, including six five-wicket hauls, against them. He also boasts an admirable record in unfavorable Indian conditions, with 35 wickets in 14 Tests at an average of 29.34.
"Every time you see Anderson bowl, it's a bit of a blast" - Sanjay Manjrekar
Sanjay Manjrekar paid the ultimate tribute to James Anderson by stating that watching the England pacer in action is a throwback to the days when Test cricket was at its best.
The 41-year-old is the third-highest wicket-taker in Test history with 691 scalps in 184 games, behind only the spin duo of Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan.
"Every time you see Anderson bowl, it's a bit of a blast from the past when Test cricket was at its highest. There was quality all over the World with the West Indies in the 1980s and then under Mark Taylor the Australians, along with Pakistan and India who had their moments," said Manjrekar.
Despite Anderson's impressive bowling display, Team India finished Day 1 at a formidable 336/6 in 93 overs.
The Lancashire-born cricketer missed the opening Test, which England won by 28 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
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