James Anderson bid adieu to international cricket with the first Test match against West Indies. It marked the end of an era as Anderson finished his legendary Test career with 704 scalps - most by a pacer in the longest format. In his final match, Anderson added four wickets to his kitty as England thrashed West Indies by an innings and 114 runs. England took a massive first-innings lead with five batters breaching the half-century mark in a total of 371. Gus Atkinson's seven-wicket haul had helped bowl West Indies out for 121 on day one of the Test match.
It was an emotional match for the legendary England paceman who drew curtains to an iconic Test career spanning 188 Test matches and more than two decades on a high note.
Anderson bid adieu to cricket in style by chugging a glass of beer on the Lord's balcony in front of the fans - a moment etched in cricket history.
After the match, Anderson stayed on the ground and spent some time with some children. A video went viral where Anderson rolled his arms and played with the kids. The England Test captain revealed that it was his daughter who was batting against the legendary paceman, and his son was also amongst the kids.
Also Read | 'Felt I could get Virat Kohli out every ball...': James Anderson drops 'inferior' remark after riding into the sunset
{{/usCountry}}After the match, Anderson stayed on the ground and spent some time with some children. A video went viral where Anderson rolled his arms and played with the kids. The England Test captain revealed that it was his daughter who was batting against the legendary paceman, and his son was also amongst the kids.
Also Read | 'Felt I could get Virat Kohli out every ball...': James Anderson drops 'inferior' remark after riding into the sunset
{{/usCountry}}"My daughter batting and my son doing the fielding, they got no idea but one day they will @jimmy9," Stokes wrote on X.
In the post-match press conference, Stokes heaped praise on the 41-year-old for putting on a show since he first stepped foot donning England colours in 2003.
"Sometimes you can be a bit lost for words, and if you gave me 15 minutes, I still wouldn't be able to compliment him enough. He is 41 years old and still always looking to improve himself as a bowler," Stokes said as quoted from Sky Sports.
"If you look at how his career has gone, he's just gotten better and better, and that's a testament to his desire to always want to get better. He's always wanted to contribute to the team and every single time he's walked out onto the field, he's done that. He's a great person to look up to," he added.