Image Credit- ESPN CricInfo.
Venue- Lord's, London [May 22-24, 2003].
In the summer of 2003, Zimbabwe Cricket Team toured England to play 2 Test Matches. The first test of the series was scheduled in Lord's wherein the English decided to hand over the test cap to a 21-year-old promising youngster. It was a wonderful moment for the boy who was going to play his debut match in the home of cricket.
He looked happy and determined to perform well on this big stage. And Boy! In the very first innings he picked up 5 wickets. The ball he bowled to dismiss batsmen were literally amazing. The swing and pace with which he bowled made every cricket fan go gaga. The Zimbabweans had no answer to his lethal bowling. It was like poetry in motion. Everyone was in awe with this 21 years old lad whenever he took the ball in his hand. It is not hard to imagine that the English won this game comfortably and took a 1-0 lead in the series which they eventually won 2-0.
21 years later he bowled the final ball of his career at a place where it all started. And Man! What a career he has had. In a total 188 test matches he picked up 704 wickets. Be it Asia, Europe, Africa or Australia, he performed well in each and every continent. As a result, his departure will leave a vacuum in English Cricket which would be hard to fill.
Goodbye Jimmy. You will be missed.
To watch the debut spell of James Anderson, Click Here.
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