Legendary England pacer reveals copying Australia star's bowling action
In a recent revelation, a legendary England pacer has revealed that he copied the bowling action of his Australia counterpart and described an incident that helped him take a wicket as well.
James Anderson, who is set to retire after playing the first Test against West Indies, starting from July 10, opened up about the time he copied Australia Test and ODI skipper Pat Cummins' bowling style.
The Three Lions pacer further stated that imitating the action helped him get out of a slump and take a scalp during a Test match against Sri Lanka in Galle.
Speaking on the Tailender's podcast, Anderson revealed the incident.
"I really like Pat Cummins' action. There was a Test match in Galle in Sri Lanka where I was feeling really stiff after lunch. Mark Wood was at mid-off and I said: 'I'm going to copy Pat Cummins' action now and try to bowl like him.' I got a wicket in that over and Woody said: 'You should bowl like him all the time.'"
With over 700 wickets under his name, the veteran needs just nine more to become the second-highest wicket-taker of all time in Test cricket.
Jimmy Anderson heaps plaudits on Pat Cummins
Cummins has evolved into one of the most reliable and outstanding players in red-ball cricket today. He maintained the top position in the Test rankings for over two years and has also excelled in his role as Test captain.
Lauding the Aussie all-rounder's action, Jimmy also mentioned that Pat Cummins' bowling has 'an amazing snap'.
"He's got an amazing snap. When he gets to the top of his action, everything seems to go really quick. When he bowls the ball, he just snaps through the crease. Because I was feeling stiff and a bit sluggish, I was trying to recreate that speed and it worked."
With around 10 days left for his retirement, Anderson is still looking in top form.
The 187-Test veteran prepared for his farewell Test against the Windies by recently taking a seven-for against Nottinghamshire.
For more updates, follow CricXtasy on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Telegram and YouTube