Not Jasprit Bumrah!! James Anderson names the one pacer he would like to copy
Veteran fast bowler James Anderson has revealed that he copied the bowling action of Pat Cummins once, and also picked up a wicket. Cummins has established himself as one of the modern-day greats who has been exceptional throughout his cricketing career so far.
Cummins has picked up 269 wickets in 62 Tests for Australia at an average of 22.53. In ODIs, he has picked up 141 wickets in 88 matches at an average of 28.66. Adding to his records, Cummins has also led Australia to a WTC and an ODI World Cup title so far. In the recently concluded T20 World Cup 2024, the right-arm fast bowler claimed two hat-tricks and picked up 9 wickets in 5 matches.
James Anderson copied Pat Cummins' action
During a Tailenders' Podcast, James Anderson revealed how he copied Pat Cummins' action once in a Test match, which also fetched him a wicket.
"I really like Pat Cummins' action. There was a Test match in Galle in Sri Lanka where I was feeling really stiff after lunch. Mark Wood was at mid-off and I said: 'I'm going to copy Pat Cummins' action now and try to bowl like him.' I got a wicket in that over and Woody (Mark Wood) said: 'You should bowl like him all the time,'" Anderson said on the Podcast.
The 41-year-old legendary seamer revealed that he had to recreate the speed and Cummins' action helped him doing so.
"He's got an amazing snap. When he gets to the top of his action, everything seems to go really quick. When he bowls the ball, he just snaps through the crease. Because I was feeling stiff and a bit sluggish, I was trying to recreate that speed and it worked," Anderson claimed.
"I wish I had taken a Test hat-trick" - James Anderson
The Englishman also wished to have taken a hat-trick in his Test career. He also remembers the game where he scored 81 against India at Trent Bridge but failed to score a Test hundred.
"Just for bragging rights in the pub, I wish I had taken a Test hat-trick. Stuart Broad bangs on about his two quite a lot and he'll always have that on me. I never got a Test hundred either and I was so close at Trent Bridge. I made 81 against India in 2014. I thought I was getting one there, but I didn't make it," Anderson wondered.
James Anderson doesn't have any Test hat-trick to his name while his long-time new ball partner Stuart Broad has picked up two Test hat-tricks.
James Anderson has outstanding records in Test cricket. The veteran Englishman has picked up 700 wickets in 187 matches in his Test career. He is currently third on the list of the highest wicket-takers in Test cricket, just behind Muthiah Muralidaran and Shane Warne.
Anderson will play his final Test match of his illustrious career against West Indies at Lord's, which will start on July 10. He is just 8 wickets behind Shane Warne, who is the second-highest wicket-taker in Tests.
