If ageing like fine wine had a picture James Anderson’s would be the most apt one. 20 years ago, to this day, James Anderson made his Test debut and now stands with 177 Test caps and 675 Test Wickets. He is behind Sachin Tendulkar for most Test Caps, and to get this far as a fast bowler makes it really tough to believe. Fast bowling is an activity that is known to take a lot out of the body. However, James Anderson, with a swift side on action. has learnt to handle the rigors of fast bowling in Test Cricket, leaving him in the reckoning for so long.

He came into the English side after just one season with Lancashire. A promising opening season saw him make the ODI side against Australia. He then went on to play the 2003 World Cup, starting a World Cup career which went on till 2015. During his days as an ODI bowler, James Anderson did enjoy some good moments. He remains England’s leading ODI Wicket taker and was really good with his accuracy. With England taking a new direction though, James Anderson’s white-ball journey came to an end in 2015, allowing him to prolong his red-ball career.

His Test career though took different turns. Following his debut, James Anderson was in and out of the side for a good five years. Injuries, lack of accuracy and modifications to his actions saw him miss a lot of Cricket. He came back though and now has one of the swiftest of actions. A smooth run-up, gentle load-up, side-on and relaxed follow-through has allowed him to come where he now is. At Trent Bridge in 2008, James Anderson truly announced himself with a seven wicket haul. His bond with Stuart Broad also began around that time.

From there on, James Anderson stuck around as a regular. In his 29th Test he got his 100th Test wicket with a beautiful inswinger to trap Jacques Kallis. In 2010, James Anderson had one of his best years. He dominated Pakistan at home and then proved he had it in him while playing away from home as he took control of the 2010 Ashes in Australia. He crossed the 200 wicket mark in the process and was quickly on his way to 300.

The 300 mark came in 2013, few months before the disastrous Ashes series, in which James Anderson was England’s only bright spot with the fight he provided. He took 14 wickets, which did not make much of a difference on the scoreline, but was easily England’s best performer in the series.

The 2013 Ashes series saw Anderson get involved in some on-field battles. After an altercation with George Bailey, Michael Clarke went on to tell Anderson to prepare himself for a broken arm. His on-field encounters did not stop in the Ashes. In 2014, James Anderson had an encounter with Ravindra Jadeja, resulting in Anderson playing with a ban threat throughout the series.

He put those incidents behind him and became England’s most prolific bowler, going past Ian Botham in his 100th Test. The 400 mark was not far away with Martin Guptill falling victim in Headingly shortly after. In 2017 though, James Anderson did the unthinkable. He touched the 500 mark, a mark breached by only two fast bowlers before him. Stuart Broad, his long time partner joined him soon, highlighting the longevity of the pair.

After 500 though, James Anderson did not stop. He crossed Glenn McGrath in Alastair Cook’s last Test as England clinched a Five Test home series against India. 600 came quickly as Anderson got Azhar Ali in 2020. He is the first fast bowler to reach the mark, and is now chasing after 700 and Shane Warne’s haul of 708 wickets.

Throughout his career, James Anderson has proved his worth on countless occasions. A handful of on-field battles with some of the fiercest in the game, including Mitchell Johnson and a long list of bunnies indicates his talent. No bowler has dismissed Sachin Tendulkar more than him in Test Cricket. His dominance against top-order batters is another aspect which highlights his quality. Throughout his career, he has gone through some fierce battles.

His encounters with Virat Kohli is a particularly special one. After making Kohli his bunny in 2014, James Anderson failed to dismiss him in the 2018 series. In 2021 though, James Anderson got back as the pair enjoyed one more epic battle. His average and performances have only improved after he crossed 30, and more so after he went past the age of 35. Now, at 40, there is no telling how long he stays on. Anderson though continues to defy conventional notions on fast bowlers, as he keeps getting better and better.

He knows his body well, and is enjoying Test Cricket under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, which could keep him going longer. At 177 Test Caps it remains uncertain how many more Anderson would like to add. He has set his sights on the home Ashes, which is promising to be very entertaining given how the English Team has improved after the last Ashes.

He is probably among the last fast-bowlers though who could extend their careers into their 40s. The likes of Stuart Broad and Tim Southee could follow him, but with franchise Cricket on the rise, they may be the last to do so. 20 years on though, James Anderson has shown that a fast bowler can stay around into their late 30s. He has certainly aged like fine wine and continues to show that he has a lot more to offer to Test Cricket. With a Test Series win against Pakistan, he now has another feather in his cap, which is probably as worn-out as ever now.