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England cricketer James Anderson is one of the best pacers to have ever graced the game of cricket. The right arm fast-bowler is still going strong at the age of 38 and is showing no signs of hanging his boots yet. With 901 international wickets to his name, Anderson will keep on breaking various records till the time he is playing Test cricket for England. While everyone knows that the veteran is still a genius on the field, he has now also proved that there is a lot of competitive spirit and desire left in him even at the twilight of his career.
Anderson vs Labuschagne: The much-awaited battle
Australian cricket Marnus Labuschagne has emerged as one of the best Test batsmen in world cricket in the last couple of years. The 26-year-old rose to fame with his impressive performances in 2019 Ashes (where he first came in as a concussion substitute for Smith). On the contrary, James Anderson missed most of that Ashes due to an injury and could not have an opportunity to have a go at the Aussie.
With Lancashire taking on Glamorgan in County Championship, the fans were waiting for the moment when the duo will finally face each other on the field of cricket and they were not left disappointed. Anderson and Labuschagne came face-to-face with each other and it was the veteran who emerged winner in the first meeting. The 38-year-old bowled a beautiful delivery which drove an edge from Labuschagne as the keeper took a safe catch.
Watch the video here:
Anderson's cheeky reaction to the dismissal
The English pacer was certainly delighted after dismissing the Aussie in only his 7th delivery, which was also his 990th first-class wicket. In a conversation with BBC Podcast 'Tailenders', he said, "You want to create a good impression and stamp your authority on that battle. It's nice to get the first blow in."
Reflecting on the fact that he had never bowled to Labuschagne before in his career, Anderson gave a hilarious analogy to describe the much-awaited battle as he compared bowling to the Aussie to impressing a girl at the club. He said, "It's like when you see a girl at a club and you try to play it cool. You want her to be impressed. You start dancing to the Stone Roses while your shoes stick to the floor."
While it was indeed a great first show of the exciting battle, the fans will have a lot more bouts this year. The duo of Anderson and Labuschagne will be up against each other in Ashes 2021 in Australia, which will be the first-ever meeting for them in international cricket.