Champion England quick James Anderson has again proven age is no hindrance to his brilliance, producing an epic display on the second day of the Boxing Day Test.
But just as it appeared Anderson had revived England’s faltering Ashes hopes in the face of a 2-0 series deficit, an Australian attack led by Mitchell Starc ripped through the visitors’ top order late in the day.
England began their second innings trailing by 82, having bowled Australia out for 267, before Starc removed opener Zak Crawley and first drop Dawid Malan in consecutive balls.
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The 42,626-strong crowd then watched on as Starc beat the bat of captain Joe Root on his hat-trick ball.
But it wasn’t long before another Englishman was back in the change rooms, with Test debutant Scott Boland removing Jack Leach when the nightwatchman left the ball and had his stumps rattled.
England are 4-31 at stumps on the second day, trailing Australia by 51. Root will resume on 12 and all-rounder Ben Stokes on two.
Legendary wicketkeeper-batter Adam Gilchrist suggested there was little more that Starc could have done in pursuit of a hat-trick.
“Perfect delivery,” Gilchrist said on the Fox Cricket broadcast.
“And maybe, maybe only a player of Joe Root’s class could miss it.
“Amazing start here, great scenes for Australia.”
Former England quick Isa Guha was in awe.
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“Goosebumps for Mitch Starc,” Guha said.
“He can feel it.
“Think of all the amazing moments at the MCG. Think of him in the World Cup final and now being on a hat-trick.
“He’s got the crowd behind him, they’re absolutely loving it and it was the perfect delivery. He had to play at that, Joe Root.”
But Australia’s destruction with the ball was preceded by the shining display of Anderson, whose second-day showing prompted leg-spin great Shane Warne to deem it the best he had bowled in Australia throughout his exceptional 168-Test career.
The right-armer finished with team-best figures of 4-33 from 23 overs, making for an economy rate of 1.43. During an eight-over spell he had 2-2.
After removing opener David Warner late on the first day of the MCG Test, Anderson executed a terrific in-swinger to capture the wicket of second drop Steve Smith in the first session of the second day.
Charging in bowling over the wicket, he tailed the ball in, caught the inside edge of Smith’s bat and sent the bails flying.
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He then dismissed opener Marcus Harris in the second session bowling around the wicket, drawing the Victorian forward and finding his outside edge, before Root completed the catch at first slip.
Former England captain Michael Vaughan labelled that ball “a belter”, before Anderson unleashed a short delivery in the third session that dismissed skipper Pat Cummins as he attempted to hook.
“We’ve all seen Jimmy Anderson tour Australia and we’ve seen him bowl in England. I would go as far to say today is the best I’ve seen Jimmy Anderson bowl in Australia,” Warne said on the Fox Cricket broadcast.
“He bowled a couple of good spells with that pink ball a few years ago in Adelaide (2017), but his record’s not great here in Australia.
“Today, I’ve watched him bowl, and this is the Jimmy Anderson everyone expects.
“This is as good as I’ve ever seen him bowl here in Australia.
“His length’s been good, he’s pitched the ball up, he’s beaten the bat, he could’ve had a number of wickets today.”
While Anderson is the highest Test wicket-taker of all fast bowlers in history, having taken 639 scalps before this Boxing Day Test, his record on Australian soil is inferior.
He had only taken 67 wickets at 33.20 in Australia ahead of the MCG match, compared to 402 scalps at 24.20 at home.
Anderson’s magnificence on the second day of the Test came at a critical time, with England facing a 2-0 deficit in the Ashes and in need of a stunning turnaround to rescue the series.
“He’s normally very rhythmical,” Warne added.
“He’s got a lot of rhythm where he just runs in and he doesn’t really over-accentuate himself. But watching him run in here, he’s absolutely steaming in.
“He looks a different bowler than what we saw in Adelaide (last week).”
Vaughan had high praise for Anderson on Twitter, writing: “We are witnessing sheer greatness in Jimmy Anderson. Enjoy it while it lasts as I am not sure the English game will see another one like him”.
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