"Petrol khatam hi nahi hunda" - Aakash Chopra lauds James Anderson for becoming the No. 1 Test bowler at 40
Aakash Chopra has lauded James Anderson for becoming the No. 1 bowler in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Test rankings at the age of 40.
Anderson leapfrogged Pat Cummins and Ravichandran Ashwin to become the top-ranked Test bowler. The England seamer picked up seven wickets in the first Test against New Zealand at Mount Maunganui and followed it with a three-wicket haul in the hosts' first innings of the ongoing second Test in Wellington.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra paid tribute to the veteran seamer for his achievement, elaborating:
"James Anderson is doing amazing things. He is the No. 1 ranked Test bowler at the age of 40, who is also a fast bowler. Petrol khatam hi nahi hunda. I am 45 and it's been ages since I left cricket and I was a batter. Forget me, there are plenty of batters who have said it's enough at 35-38 years of age."
The former Indian opener recalled his first meeting with James Anderson, saying:
"I remember I was in Swansea, probably in 2006-07, we went to play a charity match for Dickie Bird. Both of us were on the same team and Jimmy had just started playing and an eight-pack was visible. His bowling was decent at that time but that player is not only playing, he is the No. 1 Test bowler in the world."
Anderson made his Test debut against Zimbabwe in May 2003. The Lancashire seamer snared 682 wickets in 178 games before the ongoing Test against the Black Caps.
"He has an extremely repeatable action" - Aakash Chopra on James Anderson's specialties
Aakash Chopra pointed out some of the attributes that have made Anderson successful, explaining:
"What makes Jimmy Anderson special? Firstly, he has an extremely repeatable action, so he does not get injured as much as other guys. He has an amazing brain. He is not thinking about 140 kph and says he can manage with whatever he has."
While acknowledging that Anderson plays only the longest format, the reputed commentator praised him for remaining injury-free, observing:
"He only bowls as much as necessary. It is an era where we all say that fast bowlers remain injured a lot. Of course, he doesn't play all three formats, so it is slightly easier but it is not easy to start the wagon repeatedly and to play Test cricket after a gap of two or three months."
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Chopra concluded by opining that the world will not see another fast bowler who will play Test cricket for such a long time. He added that the swing bowler has defied age and numbers.