"Jimmy told him to eff off" - Ben Stokes reveals Gus Atkinson's apology to Anderson after ENG vs WI 1st Test

England captain Ben Stokes stated that Gus Atkinson regretted picking the final wicket on Day 3 of the opening Test against the West Indies at Lord's. The ace all-rounder claimed while the debutant was apologetic, Anderson shrugged it off.

The focus was heavily on Anderson in the Lord's Test as it was his final international appearance. Ahead of the third day, England needed only four wickets to secure a massive innings win. While Anderson, 41, picked up the first wicket of the day, Atkinson nipped out the remaining three.

Following England's innings and 114-run win, Stokes insisted Anderson was always going to bowl till England picked up the final scalp. The captain was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo:

"Gus apologised for taking that last wicket. Jimmy told him to eff off! I didn't tell Jimmy, but I said he was always going to bowl until we took that last wicket. However long it took, I wasn't going to take him off. Even if he said he was tired, I was like, 'you gotta keep going here'."

Anderson finished with a record 704 scalps in 188 Tests and is the leading wicket-taker for England in Tests by a mile.

"Jimmy did say he felt a bit under the pump" - Ben Stokes

Stokes disclosed that the widespread attention did unsettle Anderson considerably, but felt the veteran pacer's achievements over the years made everyone take notice.

"Moments like that, you take a step back and you actually really appreciate listening. Jimmy did say he felt a bit under the pump, because everyone's just staring at him, but they were pretty special images for the public and the world to be able to see. Everyone was just so interested to hear what Jimmy had to say, from players to support staff as well. It's a very emotional day, but also, what an occasion for the new lads coming in, to be a part of that," Stokes said in the same interaction.

The series has two more Tests left, with the second set to begin at Trent Bridge in Nottingham on July 18.