India vs England: How James Anderson matches up to Glenn McGrath and Dale Steyn in Asia

The India vs England Test series is scheduled to launch from Friday, February 5 onwards at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The series is pivotal for both sides as it is their final respective attempts to secure a spot in the final of the ongoing ICC World Test Championship. England fans will be pinning much hopes on their seasoned pace duo of James Anderson and Stuart Broad in order to upset the famed Indian batting line-up.

James Anderson, the leading wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Tests, is not considered to be the same dominant force in the subcontinental conditions as he is in the United Kingdom. However, the 38-year-old recently starred in Sri Lanka with a five-wicket haul, his 30th in Test cricket. On the back of a match and series-winning performance in Sri Lanka, here is an overall look at how Anderson holds up on tough Asian conditions in comparison to former Test pace legends Glenn McGrath and Dale Steyn.

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James Anderson wickets: A look into his record in Asia ahead of India vs England Tests

The James Anderson wickets column in Test cricket makes for a staggering read. Since his Test debut in 2003, the right-arm speedster has collected 606 wickets across 157 Tests at an average of 26.60. His track record in Asia (countries like Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan and India) includes 66 wickets at an average of 29.10, i.e. slightly higher than his overall bowling average.

However, James Anderson’s bowling record in India alone falls flat in comparison to his general statistics. In India, he has taken just 26 wickets since his first trip to the country in 2006. He has been averaging 33.46 in India, which is way worse than his career bowling average of 26.60. But Anderson was the key in England's historic 2012 series win in India, taking 12 wickets in 4 Tests.

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Former Australian quick Glenn McGrath, whose wicket-taking record was broken by Anderson in 2018, has taken 72 off his 563 Test wickets on hostile Asian conditions. Moreover, there is not much to distinguish his bowling averages in different settings as he averages an impressive 23.02 in Asia in comparison to his overall 21.64. As a result, Anderson is just 6 wickets away from passing McGrath's Asia stats, something which is a huge possibility to achieve for the England veteran even if he misses out on 1-2 Tests in the series due to rotation or other reasons.

On the other hand, former South African speed gun Dale Steyn averaged 24.11 in Asia en route to collect 92 wickets in the subcontinent. The right-arm speedster picked up his overall 439 wickets at an almost identical average of 22.95.

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James Anderson’s performance in the upcoming India Tests may well turn out to be a decisive factor if England are to convincingly beat India and secure a spot in the ICC World Test Championship final. The seasoned pacer will team-up with fellow quick Stuart Broad, who also averages on the higher side in India. However, the two cricketers will be keen to settle their bowling record through their much-awaited Indian challenge.

India vs England 2021 Test series updates

The India vs England four-match Test series will be played between February 5 and March 8. While the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai will be hosting the first two Tests of the tour, the newly-renovated Sardar Patel Stadium in Ahmedabad will play hosts to the final two matches. Here is a look at the entire itinerary of England’s ongoing tour to India –

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Image source: ICC Twitter