PAK vs ENG 2022: Ben Stokes is someone you want to play for – James Anderson

England’s veteran fast bowler James Anderson showered praise on Ben Stokes after Three Lions defeated Pakistan by 74 runs in the first Test match at Rawalpindi on Monday. Stokes led the team from the front in the first game and the visitors were able to get the result on a flat Rawalpindi pitch.

The talismanic all-rounder had declared the second innings at 264-7 after 35.5 overs, giving four sessions to his bowlers to take Pakistan’s 10 wickets. England bowlers were able to live up to the expectations as they delivered on a pitch, which didn’t give them a lot of assistance.

Meanwhile, James Anderson and Ollie Robinson played a key role in the team’s win as they scalped four wickets each.

James Anderson told Sky Sports: “He’s someone you want to play for, he is incredible. Gives you so much confidence going out there and the way he knows just what he wants to do. He thinks about it a lot – the field he sets – and the way he just sort of tells you what to do basically. He is great for us.”

He added: “You know we chat a lot about things. It’s exciting trying just different things as well, exciting things and different fields. Thinking outside the box which you got to do on pitches like this.”

Anderson added the players need to recover and come back stronger for the second Test match in Multan, which will begin on 9th December.

“Yeah it was nice to have a win but I don’t think tomorrow will feel great for me (chuckles). It was a long five days, a quick turnaround. But that’s the nature of Test cricket.

“You know we know when you are coming into the series you’ve got back-to-back games. You have got to recover well and then come back in three days.

After taking five wickets in the first Test match against Pakistan, Anderson became the third-highest wicket-taker in International cricket. Anderson now has a total of 959 wickets in 389 matches across all formats and leapfrogged former Indian leg-spinner Anil Kumble’s tally of 956 wickets.