'Bowling As Well As Ever': James Anderson Ahead Of Career Finale Against West Indies

James Anderson prepares for his final international appearance in the England vs West Indies 1st Test and feels like he still is bowling as well as ever.

England’s all-time highest wicket-taker and world’s highest wicket-taking fast bowler in Tests, James Anderson, is set to play his 188th and final Test match as England prepare to host West Indies for the first of the three-test Test match series, starting from July 9 (Wednesday). Speaking ahead of his final match, 41-year-old Anderson expressed that he is still bowling as well as ever.

James Anderson feels he is still bowling at his best. He acknowledges that his retirement from Test cricket was inevitable and is something he must accept and deal with, whether it happens now or in a few years.

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"Coming off the back of a seven-for last week, obviously I feel like I'm still bowling as well as I ever have. I knew it had to end at some point, whether it's now or a year or two years. The fact that it's now is just something that I've got to deal with and accept,” said Anderson during the England vs West Indies 1st Test pre-match conference as quoted by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Felt Fit As Ever In India: James Anderson

James Anderson also mentioned that he hadn't considered retirement because he felt as fit as ever during the series in India. He believed playing this summer was achievable, even with the usual rest periods for senior bowlers, and intended to reassess his future afterward, which has always been his approach.

"I hadn't really thought about it just because, as I said, I felt as fit as I ever have been in India. I thought that playing this summer would be achievable. Obviously, as a senior bowler, you don't play every Test anyway, you get rested and stuff like that. I thought that was achievable and then think about stuff after that. That's the way I've always approached it."

Having made his Test debut for England in 2003, will play his final match at the iconic Lord's cricket ground in London. He currently sits at third spot on the list of highest wicket-takers in the longest format of the game, trailing only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne with 700 Test wickets. He already is the pacer with most Test wickets and need just 9 wickets to past the legendary Shane Warne and become the second highest wicket-taker in the game of cricket.