James Anderson's Farewell: England Return to Test Cricket with 'Bazball' Approach

England's return to Test cricket against West Indies marked a momentous occasion as legendary fast bowler James Anderson bid farewell to international cricket. Despite England's recent 1-4 defeat to India, former pacer Steve Harmison believes the team played well and gave India a "real headache" during the series.

Harmison praised England's "Bazball" approach, which involves aggressive batting and a positive mindset. He believes that while India played better cricket in their home conditions, England's style of play still caused problems for the hosts.

"I thought they (England) played excellent cricket in India. They gave India some real headaches," Harmison said. "But then, all of a sudden, when you get to a point that you go, 'oh no, they've done it again'. How many times you see a crash of wickets? That's the problem, where you need to read a room."

Harmison emphasized that England's red-ball cricket has improved significantly under the current regime. "The way these red ball players play now, it's far better than what it was in the previous regime," he said.

Meanwhile, England captain Ben Stokes' decision to bowl first was met with cheers from the crowd, eager to witness Anderson's final Test appearance. Anderson, who has taken a record 700 Test wickets, received a standing ovation as he led England onto the field.

Before the match, Anderson presented 26-year-old debutant Jamie Atkinson with his England cap, while his daughters rang the five-minute bell in the Pavilion.

Tags: #JamesAnderson, #EnglandCricket, #WestIndies, #TestCricket, #Bazball