England pacer James Anderson has failed to make the cut in the XI for the ongoing first Test against India. The team opted to pick a seamer in Mark Wood along with three spinners in Jack Leach, Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed.

The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad is hosting the ongoing first Test between India and England. The decision to leave out James Anderson has not been worth it for the visitors as Mark Wood has not had the impact and the spinners have not performed as well as was expected of them.

Despite not making the XI, James Anderson managed to grab the headlines. As he did not find a place in the team, the pacer was seen bowling left in the nets before Day 2 of the game between India and England in Hyderabad.

James Anderson was seen bowling left-arm orthodox bowling in the nets. He was seen receiving vital input from Jack Leach’s roulette wheel. The fast bowler had a smooth action and landed the ball quite well along the length.

The clip of James Anderson’s left arm spin bowling was shown during the day’s play. It was shown on the big screen and earned high praise from the crowd. Even the pacer himself was seen laughing about the same.

Here is the video:

New career for @jimmy9? Make sure you bat right-handed too! #INDvENG pic.twitter.com/BJvwDe5AxE

– simon hughes (@theanalyst) January 26, 2024

Watching James Anderson bowl even made Ravi Shastri, who was commentating, applaud the pacer. The former India head coach pointed out that the ball was coming out of the fast bowler’s hand well. Speaking on air, he explained:

“It’s going very well. Very kind. Well done, Jimmy.”

James Anderson has arguably been one of the greatest pacers the game of cricket has ever seen. The fast bowler, despite being 41, has been running like a young player and is picking up wickets in bunches for the team. He has picked 690 wickets, which speaks of the caliber of him.

Jimmy is incredibly professional: Ben Stokes explains why James Anderson didn’t play first Test

It was a surprise when James Anderson was not chosen in the XI for the first Test against England. Despite having a good track record, he was discarded. The pacer has claimed 34 wickets at an average of 29.32 in 13 games in India.

Ben Stokes, while talking about why James Anderson failed, said that they chose the team based on the conditions. He added that the fast player makes decisions quite professionally and also needs to manage his workload. He said.

“Jimmy is incredibly professional. You never know how conditions might change and what the best setup might be for his team. But now we don’t think about having to manage Jimmy or his workloads.”

England were bowled out for just 246 runs in their first innings. In reply, India have taken a lead of 175 runs and are 421/7. The bowlers did not feature for the visitors.

With the kind of show the bowlers have put on for England in the ongoing game, it won’t be a surprise if James Anderson returns for the second game.