England pacer James Anderson swapped roles as he tried his hand at bowling spin in the nets. The veteran pacer was left out of the XI for the IND vs ENG Test in Hyderabad. As the 3rd session of the day’s play was underway, a video of Anderson trying to bowl as a left-arm spinner was played out by the broadcasters.
IND vs ENG: James Anderson turns into left-arm spinner
There is no doubt that spin will play a crucial role throughout the five-match Test series in India. With the first two days of the Test revealing the might of spin, Anderson could might as well try his hand at spin to get a spot in the XI. The pacer’s actions prompted Eoin Morgan to claim that he would be the ‘greatest ever left-arm spinner with 600 wickets. Former India head coach Ravi Shastri, too, praised Anderson for attempting to be ambidextrous.
James Anderson in India:
| Series | Inns | Wkts | Best | Avg | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005/06 | 2 | 6 | 4/40 | 13.16 | 31.1 |
| 2008/09 | 4 | 4 | 1/28 | 53.5 | 109.5 |
| 2012/13 | 7 | 12 | 4/81 | 30.25 | 63.3 |
| 2016/17 | 5 | 4 | 3/62 | 53.5 | 118.5 |
| 2020/21 | 4 | 8 | 3/17 | 15.87 | 49.3 |
| Overall | 22 | 34 | 4/40 | 29.32 | 66.2 |
