James Anderson's special shoes in final Test add extra spark to emotional farewell

England pacer James Anderson is playing the last Test of his career for the national team. The fast bowler is on the field for the one last time in the ongoing first match of the three-match series against West Indies, underway at the Lord's Cricket Ground.

James Anderson, who has been an incredible servant for the England National Cricket Team, is so far having a decent game with the ball. The fast bowler bowled well in the first innings as he was spot on with his lines and lengths that troubled the West Indies batters with the new ball in the match.

James Anderson picked one wicket in the first innings as he trapped Jayden Seales in the lbw. The fast bowler bowled 10.4 overs in the first essay and gave away only 26 runs. He also bowled 3 maiden overs in his spell and had an economy of 2.4. His effort helped England bundle out West Indies for 121 runs.

While he was decent with the ball in the first innings, one thing that caught the attention of many was the shoes that he wore. James Anderson donned a special pair of shoes for his last game in international cricket. The pair had dates of his first and last Test matches mentioned on it along with England’s logo and the number of matches he has played.

Here's the photo:

Special footwear for a special occasion ✨ #ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/ffsPa3IOgo

— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 11, 2024

James Anderson would be hoping to finish the Test career on high. He was keen to make a huge impact in the second innings, in what will be the last dance for him. The fast bowler looked in good rhythm and it won't be a surprise if he ends up making a huge impact with the ball the in second essay.

Coming to the match between England and West Indies, the hosts won the toss and opted to field first. It was a great outing for them with the ball. Apart from James Anderson, Gus Atkinson shined on debut as he bagged 7 wickets as they bundled out the opposition for 121 runs.

After that with the bat England have been decent. Zak Crawley (76) and Ollie Pope (59) slammed half-centuries before Harry Brook (50) and Joe Root (68) chipped in as well with fifties. Jamie Smith had also slammed a half-century and is looking solid as England has the Ken lead of over 200.

James Anderson's Test stats

James Anderson has been an incredible servant for the England National Cricket Team in Test cricket. The fast bowler has so far taken 701 wickets in 188 matches. He is the leading wicket-taker in terms of fast bowlers in the longest format of the game.

James Anderson pacer is 8 wickets away from Shane Warne's tally of 708 wickets and becoming the second leading wicket-taker in the longest format of the game. If he achieves the feat in the second innings, it would be a fairytale ending for him as a player in Test cricket.

After the ongoing Test match, James Anderson will be taking up a mentor's role in the England National Cricket Team. The ECB recently assigned him the role as they stated that they wanted the pacer around the group.