James Anderson compared to Roger Federer, Tom Brady by British media after Chennai heroics

Gone are the days when sportspersons began charting out their retirements and post-retirement careers when they hit their mid-30s. With Roger Federer and Serena Williams still going strong, Tom Brady winning a historic 7th Super Bowl title and James Anderson leading England's charge to victory in India during the last week, a huge dialogue has opened up on social media, leaving fans wondering just which of these legends will retire as the ultimate sportsperson. While there may be no objective way to answer this question, it has not kept fans from making impassioned cases for their players of choice. 

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India vs England 2021 scalps draw Anderson comparison to Brady, Federer

If one of the conditions for being declared the ultimate sportsperson in history includes longevity while being at your best in your chosen field, one name that is sure to make the cut is James Anderson. The English bowler made his Test debut in 2003 when Ricky Ponting was still the captain of the Australian team, Nasser Hussain and Graeme Smith captained South Africa and England respectively and Sourav Ganguly led India. Already the leading Test wicket-taker among active players, with 611 wickets to his name, Anderson has maintained that he is aiming for the 700-mark, with no question of retirement.

One of Anderson's greatest praises came from ESPNCricinfo senior writer George Dobell, who wrote: 

“In terms of his remarkable ability to stay at the top of the game for a long time, [Anderson] surely deserves to be bracketed alongside the likes of Martina Navratilova, Serena Williams, Roger Federer and Tom Brady”.

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This is may not even prove to be as tough as it looks for Anderson, especially if he keeps going the way he has been in his last few Tests. The veteran bowler grabbed headlines across the world when he didn't just make the playing XI of the English side in India — a huge achievement for most players his age — but also went to take a five-wicket haul as England handed the hosts a brutal 227-run loss. His masterful use of reverse spin to take out a settled Shubman Gill and an experienced Ajinkya Rahane in a span of four balls is widely believed to have been the turning point of the India vs England 2021 1st Test match. 

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England squad for India Tests 2021

England squad for the first and second India Tests 2021: Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Ben Foakes, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dom Sibley, Ben Stokes, Olly Stone, Chris Woakes and Ollie Pope. 

Jonathan Bairstow, Sam Curran and Mark Wood are expected to come in for the last two Tests as well as the white-ball series after being rested for the first two Tests as per the ECB's new policies on the distribution of workload among players.

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Image credits: James Anderson Twitter