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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Matthew Cooper

James Anderson closes in on Ian Botham record as he claims another Lord's five-wicket haul

The evergreen James Anderson took his 31st Test match five-fer and his seventh at Lord's in the first innings of England 's second Test against India.

Having gone into the game as an injury doubt with a quad muscle niggle, Anderson put to bed any concerns over his fitness by producing a typically excellent bowling performance.

The 39-year-old initially bowled a short opening spell on the first day, but came back to dismiss the excellent Rohit Sharma for 83 with a peach of a delivery.

After breaking India's opening partnership, Anderson got Cheteshwar Pujara caught in the slips shortly afterwards for just nine.

James Anderson is closing in on Ian Botham's record for the most five-wicket hauls at Lord's after he claimed his seventh at the venue in England's second Test against India (Philip Brown/Popperfoto/Popperfoto via Getty Images)

With Ollie Robinson getting the key wickets of Virat Kohli before the end of play on day one and then starting the second day by removing centurion KL Rahul, Anderson once again took centre stage.

He removed the under-pressure Ajinkya Rahane for just one and then helped clean up the tail by getting Ishant Sharma out LBW and Jasprit Bumrah caught behind, before taking a catch off Mark Wood's bowling to dismiss Ravindra Jadeja.

The wicket of Bumrah meant Anderson had picked up yet another five wicket haul in Test match cricket and it means he now has seven at the Home of Cricket - only the great Sir Ian Botham has more with eight.

It was also Anderson's fifth five-fer against India and, at the age of 39, he has become the oldest seamer to take a five wicket haul since 1951.

On that occasion, South African seamer Geoffrey Chubb picked up 6-51 against England at Old Trafford at the age of 40.

Anderson bowled a beauty to dismiss Jasprit Bumrah and take his seventh five-fer at Lord's (Stu Forster/Getty Images)

By taking his 31st five-fer, Anderson now has the most of any active Test player, going ahead of India's Ravichandran Ashwin who has 30.

The 'Burnley Express' currently sits sixth on the all-time list of players with the most five-fers in Test cricket and he is just six behind Shane Warne who is in second place with 37.

Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan is far and away the leader, though, with a remarkable 67 five wicket hauls across his Test career.

Speaking on BBC Test Match Special, former England captain Michael Vaughan labelled Anderson's performance "magnificent".

"That is wasted on Jasprit Bumrah," he said of Anderson's fifth wicket. "It was a beauty. Jimmy Anderson has been magnificent.

"He wasn't at his best against New Zealand, but I remember seeing a video a couple of days of him at Old Trafford, with the cones out, just going through the basics and working out his alignment. This is a great lesson to everyone."

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