James Anderson takes to the field for the fifth time at the Adelaide Oval this week to set a new record for the ground he has played at most outside England.
Anderson has in fact played more Test cricket at this famous old ground than all bar four members of the Australia team, Nathan Lyon, David Warner, Steve Smith, and Mitchell Starc.
So it is no surprise then that Australian captain and fast bowler Pat Cummins revealed that he would like to pick Anderson’s brain about the art he has done so well for so long.
Of course neither man is going to have that conversation this week, or until the series is done and dusted, there is too much at stake.
Ollie Robinson learnt plenty by talking to Josh Hazelwood when he was a teenager playing Grade cricket, but there’s only two years between these old friends who were teammates.
When Anderson was playing at Adelaide for just the second time, taking 1-12 in a one day international against Pakistan back in 2003, Cummins was just nine years old making his way at Glenbrook-Blaxland cricket club up near the Blue Mountains.
That is how long Anderson has been doing this, and he is still going strong.
“I haven’t really picked his brains over bowling yet,” said Cummins. “But I would love to. He’s fantastic, 150 odd test matches and the leading wicket taker for England.
“The longevity is what is really impressive, you get niggles and injuries constantly as a fast bowler and he’s been at it constantly as a fast bowler for nearly two decades.
“It just shows it is possible to be bowling into your late 30s and still be at the top of your game.
“He brings a lot of experience and class to their side and is always a challenge but he is someone that our batters are really familiar with facing.”
Anderson has seen Aussie skippers come and go, Ricky Ponting, Michael Clark, Steve Smith, Tim Paine, and now Cummins and he’s had his moments.
He took out two of them on the first morning in 2010 at this ground before he’d finished his second over as Ponting and Clarke fell in an astonishing burst that set England on their way to victory.
He was there too when Paul Collingwood’s double hundred and a second Ashes 158 from Kevin Pietersen should have secured at least a draw in 2006, but instead were part of a chastening defeat.
It is also the ground where Anderson collected his one and, so far, only five wicket haul on Aussie soil, to which he could add with another pink ball night out.
“I had success with it last time here,” he said. “But it is quite temperamental still, it’s not a given that it will swing round corners or seam, or anything like that.
“I think it’s my favourite ground outside the UK. It’s changed since I first played here. But I’ve always enjoyed it, whether with the one day side or Test side.
“The atmosphere is great, people love their cricket in Adelaide and the stuff they’ve done to the ground is fantastic. It’s now an amazing stadium
“I’ve probably had more crushing defeats than good times but I have enjoyed every game I’ve played here.”
