After struggling to make an impact in the series opener at Centurion, a game the Proteas won by 107 runs, Anderson has been back to his best in Cape Town, claiming the 28th five-wicket haul of his distinguished Test career.
The Lancashire seamer picked up the final two wickets in South Africa's first innings on the third morning to finish with 5-40, in the process securing his side a useful 46-run lead as they came out to bat again.
Dominic Sibley's unbeaten 85 helped increase their advantage, the opener putting on a 116-run stand with Joe Root (61) as England reached the close on Sunday on 218-4, putting them 264 ahead with plenty of time remaining in the contest.
Speaking after the close of play to Sky Sports, Anderson admitted he had been nervous on his comeback at SuperSport Park, having not played for his country since suffering a calf injury on the opening day of the Ashes series in August.
"What happened at Birmingham, with me pulling up after four overs [on the first day], I didn't want that to happen again," he said. "You are a bit nervous about that, plus I wanted to bowl well.
"I don't know if I was trying too hard, but I was desperate to prove my place in the team. Looking back, overall I was a bit rusty. I needed that extra game to get match fit."
Anderson added: "I'm so grateful for the help I've had getting me fit again. I have worked hard to get back and I feel in really good shape, felt in brilliant rhythm yesterday. That's what I've missed - real, proper Test cricket gives you a buzz when you get out there and get some wickets."
The 37-year-old managed just two wickets in the first Test - his 150th - but kept his place in the XI, yet he acknowledges there is plenty of competition considering the pace-bowling resources England have in their squad.
"With the bowling group we've got here, everyone is pushing each other," Anderson said. "We have so much talent; Mark Wood is coming back from injury, we've got Chris Woakes and Craig Overton really pushing hard to get into this team.
"It keeps you on your toes, you've got to keep performing and keep working hard at your game to keep them out. It makes for healthy competition."
As for the match situation, Anderson praised Sibley and Root for their application in the middle, something that was lacking for England first time around as a number of batsmen failed to capitalise on promising starts.
"I think it was a good day, a really good day to be honest," Anderson said.
"We wanted to be ruthless with the ball this morning and we were, then with the bat we made a point that everyone got a start in the first innings but did not go on. We wanted someone who, once they got in, would stick in there.
"That's exactly what Dom and Rooty did. It was a great partnership between them. It’s unfortunate with the two late wickets, but that happens in Test cricket. Generally, it was a good day and we are in a good position going into tomorrow."
Like much of the global sporting calendar, the English cricket season has been ravaged by the coronavirus crisis, with no competitive action able to take place so far.
England will play West Indies in three matches behind closed doors next month, with the tourists based at Old Trafford.
The Manchester ground will host the second and third games as a bio-secure venue, after the Ageas Bowl in Southampton stages the opener.
It is hoped a Test series against Pakistan can take place in August, with the possibility of limited-overs engagements against the same opponents, Australia and Ireland on the schedule.
The United Kingdom has suffered more COVID-19 deaths than any other country in Europe, while the Caribbean has been minimally impacted by the virus compared to other parts of the world.
Anderson is not treating West Indies' opting to help get the international game back up and running lightly.
"From our point of view we're certainly very grateful that the West Indies are coming over here," he said.
"Obviously, with what's going on in the world, I imagine it's a scary decision for a lot of them, for all of them to make the journey over so we're hugely grateful.
"It's great for the game. It's brilliant that we are closing in on getting some Test cricket played after a decent lay-off."
Anderson, England's all-time Test wicket-taker with 584 victims, has managed to be creative in order to maintain his fitness during lockdown and in training with Lancashire.
The 37-year-old suffered injury setbacks when facing Australia and South Africa and feels Joe Root might look to rotate his battery of seam bowlers on home soil.
"Training has been going well," he said. "I've managed to tick over quite well during lockdown.
"I've luckily got enough space to fit half of my run-up in on my drive, so I've been ticking over with my bowling. When I came back to training with Lancashire I've not been going in cold.
"I felt like I hit the ground running pretty well. I've been enjoying being back."
Anderson added: "Obviously there are concerns about the fact we are not going to have had any competitive cricket before that first Test match and then we've got three Test matches in quick succession.
"So there are obviously things that we need to look at ahead of that in terms of workloads and whether we play all three as bowlers or whether we rotate.
"I'm sure the medical staff and the coaches are doing their due diligence on that; that's something we'll have to look at in a few weeks' time.
"But at the moment I'm enjoying myself, I'm enjoying being back and feeling really good."
Joe Root's side win the three-match series 1-0, courtesy of their thrilling opening victory at Old Trafford, but they endured frustration over the course of three rain-affected days having established a position of dominance at the Rose Bowl.
Zak Crawley turned his maiden Test century into a mammoth 267 – the 10th highest score of all time by an Englishman in the longest format – that proved to be the backbone of 583-8 declared after Root won the toss, with Jos Buttler also weighing in with a career-best 152.
Anderson claimed his 29th five-wicket haul in red-ball cricket for England as Pakistan were dismissed for 273 on Sunday and forced to follow-on.
The subsequent delays meant it was a case of all eyes on the 38-year-old when the sides finally emerged at 16:15 local time on Tuesday.
Anderson began in alliance with Jofra Archer in typically miserly fashion and number 600 arrived when he got a ball to lift to Pakistan captain Azhar Ali.
The first innings centurion could only edge through to Root at slip and the skipper embraced the delighted man of the moment.
Any hopes of England forcing victory after the moment of jubilation were quickly put to bed as Babar Azam showed his class in a fluent 63 not out, featuring eight fours.
Root's part-time off-spin removed Asad Shafiq, caught by substitute fielder James Bracey for 21, before the sides shook hands shortly after the final hour was called – Pakistan having reached 187 for four.
After being bowled out for 269 in their first innings, England allowed South Africa to recover from a vulnerable 40-3 as Dean Elgar and Rassie van der Dussen piled on 117 for the fourth wicket.
But a rush of five wickets after tea allowed England to reassert themselves in the contest, South Africa ending day two in Cape Town on 215-8 and thoroughly rattled.
Stokes' four catches in the innings put him one short of becoming the first English fielder - other than wicketkeepers - to take five in a Test innings.
The day's play ended with Anderson's third wicket as he had Keshav Maharaj caught by Dom Sibley at third slip.
Anderson's 3-34, Broad's 2-36 and Sam Curran's 2-39 showed up South Africa's limitations against England's seam attack, while heavily-worked spinner Dom Bess took the key wicket of Dean Elgar, who made 88 before skying one to the tourists' captain, Joe Root.
England, on 262-9 overnight, predictably did not go much further, adding only seven runs before Anderson edged a snappy delivery from Kagiso Rabada to Van der Dussen at first slip.
Anderson and Broad were reckoned by some observers to have been fighting for one place in this match, but with both getting the nod it was a familiar attack that awaited South Africa.
The knowledge of what was coming did not help the Proteas in the early stages, however. Broad immediately found his range and had Pieter Malan and Zubayr Hamza caught in the slips, both men gone for five apiece with Root and Stokes holding the catches behind the bat.
When Anderson struck a huge blow by removing home captain Faf du Plessis for just one run - Stokes again taking the catch - England had South Africa on the rack.
England thought they had snared Van der Dussen when he was caught in a tangle by a tasty Anderson delivery, only for a review to show the batsman had managed an inside edge.
Van der Dussen had another life on 16 when Broad looked to have him caught behind, yet the England paceman had overstepped by a couple of inches, and the same batsman was dropped by Stokes.
Just when it looked like Elgar would go to three figures, he lost patience after half an hour of England stemming the flow of runs, took a big swing at Bess and Root snaffled a patient catch at deep mid-off.
Curran got in on the act, having Quinton de Kock caught at mid-off by Anderson and finally removing Van der Dussen, whose luck ran out on 68 when Stokes held a fine low catch down to his right.
Anderson accounted for Dwaine Pretorius, with Stokes redeeming himself for a drop at the start of the 81st over by gobbling up a chance off the Lancastrian three balls later, and Anderson's next strike made it marginally England's day.
Anderson needed two wickets on the penultimate day to become the first fast bowler to take 600 scalps in the longest format, but could only dismiss Abid Ali for a patient 42.
Jos Buttler became the fourth player to drop a catch off Anderson's bowling in the final match of the series and Pakistan produced a strong rearguard action to close on 100-2 - trailing by 210 runs - as they battled to salvage a draw.
Stuart Broad (1-23) dismissed Shan Masood, who was given that early life by Buttler, but England could only strike twice in the 56 overs that were possible on a flat pitch at the Rose Bowl.
England will end a 10-year wait for a Test series win over Pakistan on the final day as they lead 1-0, but there are major doubts over whether there will be any play as Storm Francis is heading for Southampton.
With uncertainty over when England's next Test will be, Anderson could face a long wait for his next chance to become only the fourth player to join the 600 club.
Ollie Pope left the field early in the day and did not return after the tourists resumed at the start of their second innings with a deficit of 304.
Anderson (1-18) suffered more frustration when Buttler failed to grasp a chance offered by Masood on three and Pakistan's openers dug in with defiance before an early lunch was taken due to heavy rain at 41 without loss.
Abid and Masood (18) continued to dig in after play restarted following a lengthy spell off the field, but a stand of 49 ended when the left-hander fell lbw offering no shot to Broad.
Captain Azhar Ali, who made a magnificent unbeaten century on day three, and Abid saw out another 26 overs as England appeared to run out of ideas before Anderson moved a step closed to 600.
Abid was the man to depart, trapped in front to leave Pakistan 88-2 but Anderson was soon taken out of the attack in fading light and the players were taken off with the seamer reflecting on what might have been.
Frustrated Anderson within touching distance
England's leading Test wicket-taker Anderson had the Monday blues after Buttler became the latest player to spurn a chance to help him reach the 600-mark.
Rory Burns, Zak Crawley and Broad spilled catches on day three and Anderson was left shaking his head after wicketkeeper Buttler missed a straightforward opportunity to see the back of Masood.
The four drops came in the space of 37 balls from Anderson, who will be hoping some calm after the storm gives him another chance to make history on the last day of England's final Test of the summer.
Resolute Pakistan show great fight
Pakistan started the penultimate day facing a real challenge to avoid a heavy defeat, but their batsmen showed impressive discipline in a match England have dominated.
Abid fell for only one in the first innings after making a half-century in the second Test, but soaked up 162 balls before he eventually fell to Anderson.
Masood and skipper Azhar, with a spring his step after a brilliant knock on Sunday, also showed commendable resilience on a day of Test cricket that will not live long in the memory but really should have done.
The fast bowler played his final Test match for England against the West Indies with an innings win on the third day, taking four wickets to see him finish with a total of 704 for his career.
Anderson is England's all-time leading wicket-taker, with only Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne ahead of him in the all-time list of Test bowlers.
Over a 21-year career, he won 188 Test caps for England, the most of any player, but despite his many records, he does not believe he reached the level of the "greats".
"You go so up and down," he told Sky Sports. "Some series you feel amazing and some not quite on it and a batter gets the better of you.
"Playing against Virat Kohli in the early days, you felt you could get him out every ball and then recently like you can't get him out at all. You feel so inferior.
"I have never felt great at any stage. I know that sounds strange. I have always thought 'How can I get better for the next series?'. That has helped me play for such a long time."
Anderson was given a guard of honour by both teams at Lord's on Friday before going out onto the balcony following the match to more celebratory scenes from the spectators.
Asked about the legacy he wanted to leave behind, the 41-year-old admitted he would be pleased to find out he had inspired others to take up the sport.
"The way I have loved the sport so much, I would love for there to be people out there that have taken up the game because they have watched me bowl," said Anderson.
"That people have been entertained by watching me bowl and there are kids or grown-ups who have taken up the art of swing bowling because they have seen me bowl. That would make me so happy."
Anderson will immediately move onto England's backroom staff, becoming a bowling mentor for the second Test at Trent Bridge next week.
The 37-year-old has taken 584 Test wickets and has a further 269 to his name in one-day cricket, making him the most prolific bowler for his country in both formats.
But despite his advancing age and recent injury issues, Anderson believes his best cricket may still be ahead of him.
He told Sky Sports on Sunday: "There's always going to be that element of, ‘Well he's 37'. There's a stigma for some reason around sportsmen getting to a certain age with a, 'Well, it's about time he moved on' sort of thing. For me, I genuinely don't know if I've peaked yet as a bowler.
"For me, in my head, why does 37 have to be towards the end? Cooky [Alastair Cook] said he's not going to be playing when he's 45 – probably not, but I've seen bowlers go into their 40s. It's not impossible."
Anderson's latest fitness setback came when he sustained a broken rib during the second Test against South Africa in early January.
The Lancashire paceman recently outlined his goal to return for the tour of Sri Lanka, which starts in March.
"I've been training for a few weeks now, getting my bowling back up to speed. I feel really good," he told Sky Sports on Friday.
"The aim for me is to get fit for whatever is next and, at the moment, that is Sri Lanka."
Ben Duckett struck a rapid 84 off only 68 balls and Harry Brook made a majestic 89 from 81 deliveries as the tourists put 325 runs on the board from 58.2 overs before Stokes ended the innings at Bay Oval.
The Black Caps were in trouble on 37-3 at stumps in the day-night match in Mount Maunganui, the outstanding Anderson taking 2-10 after Ollie Robinson got rid of Tom Latham.
Tim Southee asked England to bat first at the start of a two-match series that got under way following great work from the ground staff so soon after Cyclone Gabrielle had passed through.
Southee got rid of Zak Crawley early on with the pink ball, but the aggressive Duckett and Ollie Pope put on 99 for the second wicket.
Duckett fell before lunch when he struck debutant Blair Tickner to Michael Bracewell and Pope was dismissed by Southee (2-71) for 42 before Neil Wagner removed Joe Root (14).
England were 209-5 when Scott Kuggeleijn (2-80) claimed the scalp of Stokes on debut, but Brook raced to a 43-ball half-century as he put on 89 with Ben Foakes in quick time.
Brook missed out on making it four hundreds in as many Tests when he dragged on to a delivery from Wagner, who also saw the back of Foakes (38) and Jack Leach before Stokes declared.
Robinson then had Latham caught at short leg, with Anderson generating movement off the seam and through the air as he trapped Kane Williamson leg before and had Henry Nicholls caught by Crawley in the slips.
Devon Conway was still there at the close after being dropped by Crawley on nine and nightwatchman Wagner did his job, but it was England's day.
Duckett and Brook stay in one-day mode
Opener Duckett and Brook have grabbed their chance with both hands after coming into the Test side last year, piling on the runs in a historic 3-0 series win in Pakistan.
Duckett set the tempo at the top of the order, putting the bowlers under pressure as he crashed 14 boundaries in a swashbuckling knock.
Brook then took centre stage once again, showing his class as he found the rope 15 times and struck Tim Southee for a glorious six down the ground.
Anderson puts deadly duo on verge of history
England's legendary duo of Anderson and Stuart Broad came into this match closing in on become the most successful bowling partnership in Test history.
Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath combined to claim 1,001 when they were in the same Australia team.
Two scalps for Anderson moved the evergreen seamer and Broad on to 999, within touching distance of setting a new record.
England claimed an impressive three-wicket win at Old Trafford, chasing down a target of 277 after their bowlers had helped bring them back into the contest late on day three.
However, Anderson struggled at his home ground, at times cutting an exasperated figure as he returned match figures of 1-97.
The seamer admits he struggled for rhythm but, at 38, is focused on rediscovering his best form as he closes in on the milestone of 600 Test wickets.
Asked on a media conference call on Monday whether he was contemplating retirement amid speculation over his future, Anderson emphatically replied: "Absolutely not.
"It's been a frustrating week for me personally because I've not bowled very well, I've felt out of rhythm.
"Probably for the first time in 10 years I got a little bit emotional on the field, started getting frustrated and let that get to me a little bit.
"It reminded me of when I first started playing, when you get frustrated and a little bit angry then you start trying to bowl quicker and quicker, and that obviously doesn't help on the field.
"For me, once we get down to Southampton, it is a case of working really hard over the next couple of days, see if there are any technical issues that I can sort out and just try and work hard and hope that I get the nod for the next game, so I can try and show people that I've still got what it takes to play Test cricket."
While once again pointing out his determination to keep on playing, Anderson acknowledged his future could be taken out of his hands by the selectors.
England are back in action this week, with the second Test against Pakistan beginning on Thursday at the Rose Bowl, and have called up Sussex seamer Ollie Robinson to the squad.
"I want to keep playing for as long as I possibly can," Anderson said. "If I keep bowling the way I did this week, the opportunity to retire will be taken out of my hands.
"I'm still hungry to play the game, I think the frustration for me this week is that after just one bad game, whispers go around, and I don't think that is really fair.
"Something that I have done well throughout my career is deal with the pressure that comes with playing, whether that is pressure of expectation, pressure of the match situation - I feel I've dealt with that pretty well throughout my career.
"This week I probably didn't do that very well. That is something I need to look at and go away, personally look at that and whether I play in the next game or the game after that or if it is in the winter then whenever I play next, I'm ready to be able to cope with that."
A seven-wicket win in Galle gave the tourists a 1-0 lead in the rearranged series, following on from an overseas triumph in South Africa a year ago, plus successes against West Indies and Pakistan on home soil.
Joe Root led from the front with a double-century last time out and, with the recalled Jonny Bairstow and debutant Dan Lawrence also contributing runs, the tourists have gone with the same batting line-up.
Anderson comes into the side as England make just the one change, with Broad given a rest, as Mark Wood retains his place and Olly Stone misses out along with Chris Woakes.
As for Sri Lanka, they will once again be without Test captain Dimuth Karunaratne as he continues to recover from a fractured thumb.
Kusal Mendis has been dropped after a poor run of form with the bat – he has managed just 27 runs in his last six Test innings – while seam duo Lahiru Kumara and Nuwan Pradeep, as well as wicketkeeper-batsman Minod Bhanuka, have been allowed to depart the bio-secure bubble.
The home side will be aiming to prevent their opponents from winning a fifth successive Test overseas, a feat England have not achieved since a run of seven in a row between 1911 and 1914.
Sri Lanka fought back well after being dismissed for only 135 in their first innings of the opening Test and captain Root knows England cannot expect to have things all their own way as they eye another triumph on tour.
He said: "They are a proud team and they have a great record at this ground. Not only that, they have some very talented players.
"We already saw that throughout the game with how it unfolded in the second innings. The way that they played with the bat in the second innings was very different to the first and showed that in those conditions, they are a very hard side to break down.
"We know that this isn't going to be an easy game for us."
LEACH IN SIGHT OF RECORD
Jack Leach was understandably a little rusty in the previous game, having only played in two first-class fixtures throughout 2020. However, the left-arm spinner improved as he clocked up the overs, claiming 5-122 in the second innings to leave England needing just 74 for victory.
His six in the match lifted his career Test tally in Sri Lanka to 24, just one behind Ashley Giles who sits top of the all-time list for England. Considering it is expected to be another spin-friendly surface in Galle, Leach will fancy his chances of taking top spot before the short tour concludes.
SRI LANKA AIM TO STOP THE ROT
Despite showing some defiance with both bat and ball in the opening Test, Sri Lanka have now lost three in a row. They have not suffered a longer losing run since a four-game span between December 2015 and May 2016.
Their first-innings total of 135 left them with too much ground to make up second time around, so the continued absence of opener Karunaratne is a blow.
KEY MATCH FACTS
- England will be looking to record a third successive Test series win against Sri Lanka for the first time.
- England have lost only one of their Tests since the start of 2020 (W7, D2) and are undefeated in their last six of that stretch (W4, D2) – the last time they went on a longer unbeaten run was a 13-Test span (W7, D6) from November 2012 to August 2013.
- Joe Root made 228 last time out, his maiden Test double-century in Asia. That innings included 74 runs from conventional sweep shots, almost twice the number of his previous high in a Test match (41 at Pallekele versus Sri Lanka in November 2018).
- Lahiru Thirimanne has scored 50 or more in two of his past three Test innings at Galle, after doing so only once in his previous 12 knocks at the venue.
- Jos Buttler held on to all five catching opportunities in the series opener; only once before in his Test career has he managed to claim more catches without dropping one (July 2014 v India – 6/6).
The England bowler, who first became the world number one in May 2016, tops the list for the sixth time in his career after seven wickets in the first Test with New Zealand.
Figures of 3-36 and 4-18 as the tourists recorded a 267-run victory in Mount Maunganui means Anderson dethrones Australia captain Cummins.
The 40-year-old was last at the summit in November 2018, and in returning there, becomes the oldest bowler to reach the top of the rankings since Clarrie Grimmett in 1936.
It marks the latest achievement for Anderson set during England's time in New Zealand, having also become the record holder for the highest Test wicket bowling partnership alongside Stuart Broad.
The pair dethroned Australia duo Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath for the pair of team-mates with the most Test wickets between them while playing together, with 1,009 to date.
Cummins meanwhile drops to third overall in the rankings, with India's Ravichandran Ashwin moving into second after taking six wickets during the latter's second Test victory against the former's side.
Elsewhere in the Test Player rankings, England trio Ollie Pope, Harry Brook and Ben Duckett have all moved up double-digits among batters after impressing in New Zealand.
There is no movement, however, amid the upper tier of the list, with Australia's Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith continuing to lock out the top two spots, ahead of Pakistan's Babar Azam.
McCullum has introduced a thrilling style since taking over as England's red-ball coach in May, leading the side to a whitewash of New Zealand and a terrific chase victory over India at Edgbaston.
While South Africa dealt the coach-captain duo of McCullum and Ben Stokes their first Test match defeat last month, the hosts are on the brink of completing a 2-1 series triumph over the tourists after impressing with both ball and bat at The Oval on Sunday.
England will require just 33 runs to wrap up a fourth consecutive series win over the Proteas when the decisive third Test resumes on Monday, and Anderson is relishing their revival.
"It's been amazing, I'll be honest, Baz [McCullum] has been a breath of fresh air. He's come in and it just feels positive, there's a positive atmosphere in that dressing room," Anderson told Sky Sports.
"The messages he sends about going out there and trying to entertain, everyone's bought into it. Some days it hasn't paid off, but when it has, it's spectacular.
"It's changed the way not only some of the players have thought about Test cricket, but maybe even the way the world thinks about Test cricket.
"Hopefully we can get the job done tomorrow. Still 33 runs to get on a tricky wicket, we'll just try and get it done as professionally as we can."
With 667 wickets in the format, Anderson is the third most prolific bowler in Test cricket history, behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708).
He was joined in the top five of that illustrious list by Stuart Broad on Sunday, as his three dismissals moved him clear of Glenn McGrath with 566 red-ball wickets.
Anderson was delighted by his team-mate's achievement, adding: "It means a lot to him because of how high he held Glenn in his eyes.
"So for him to go past him, it means a lot to him and shows the amount of work he's put in, the dedication to his job, and his skill as well. It's a pleasure to bowl at the other end."
Having benefited from the decision to stop play for bad light when South Africa were on top on Saturday, England were left frustrated after not being given the opportunity to finish the visitors off a day later.
Despite his annoyance at the umpire's decision to call time, Anderson remains confident England will see the match through on Monday, adding: "It's obviously frustrating from our point of view, because the rate we were scoring at, we might only have needed another five or six overs.
"The guys were seeing the ball pretty well and with a good crowd in here it would have been nice to finish it.
"The point of view of the umpires is they took a reading yesterday, that's the precedent for the whole game, and I think their message was if it rained all day tomorrow it would be unfair on South Africa to get the game done today.
"It's frustrating, but hopefully we'll come back and get the job done.
"I'd like to think that common sense would prevail. At the minute, the reading is the precedent for the rest of the game, but in certain situations you do think common sense could come into play."
The tourists took a 1-0 lead in dramatic fashion late on the final day at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Jack Leach taking the final wicket with the light fading rapidly.
Seamers Anderson and Ollie Robinson were outstanding, generating reverse swing with an old ball on a placid pitch as Pakistan were bowled out for 268 in a run-fest after a bold day-four declaration from Ben Stokes.
Anderson took 4-36 and Robinson 4-50, while Stokes also bowled brilliantly in England's first away Test victory over Pakistan for 22 years - and only their third of all time in the country.
The evergreen Anderson felt the victory on a surface that was a batter's paradise could be the finest of his long Test career.
Asked if he had seen anything like it, he told Sky Sports: "I don’t think I have actually. It's probably one of the best wins I've been involved in, if not the best.
"On a pitch like that, to play the way we did, to score runs at the rate we did, we gave ourselves a chance to get the result.
"It was an unbelievable effort from everyone. We knew it was going to be difficult, it just feels like with Ben and Brendon [head coach McCullum], their mantra is 'we've got to take wickets'. We look to take wickets all the time.
"We knew it was a big push, we dug deep to get anything out of that wicket."
Anderson, Robinson and Stokes bowled 66 second-innings overs between them in a Herculean effort in the heat.
The 40-year-old Anderson said "I think we all kept each other going. At times each of us was tired and one of us would pick the other up. We managed to get through some long spells.
"It's nice to have the win but I don't think tomorrow will feel great for me. It was a long five days."
In stormy conditions in humid Hampshire, Pakistan won the toss and elected to bat, but James Anderson (2-35) struck early to dismiss Shan Masood for only one.
Dom Sibley and Rory Burns dropped catches as Abid Ali (60) and Azhar Ali (20) took Pakistan to 78-1, though the captain then fell to Anderson - who this week denied talk that he could be set to retire.
England did further damage in between rain breaks – Sam Curran, Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes striking before play was finally ended by bad light with only 45.4 overs possible.
It was advantage England at the close on a day which saw Zak Crawley replacing Ben Stokes after the vice-captain flew to New Zealand to be with his family and Curran coming in for Jofra Archer
Questions were asked over Anderson's place in the side following a disappointing showing in England's stunning victory at Old Trafford, but England's record Test wicket-taker soon let his class do the talking, swinging a brilliant delivery straight into Masood's pads.
Abid should have been dismissed in the next over, only for Sibley to put him down after Broad drew an edge.
Azhar's luck was in when the ball trickled back and hit the stumps without dislodging the bails, before Burns dropped Abid at second slip as Pakistan made it to an early, rain-enforced lunch without suffering further damage.
Pakistan's luck ran out shortly after the restart – the probing Anderson drawing an edge from Azhar, with Burns holding on this time.
Another rain break followed, with dark skies forcing tea to be taken early, but Pakistan resumed brightly – Abid passing 50 in nervy fashion with a thin edge which scuttled between fielders.
Successive fours took Pakistan beyond 100, yet Abid was soon on his way back to the pavilion when he nicked a delivery from Curran to Burns.
Sibley then took a low catch to send Asad Shafiq (5) walking, before Fawad Alam – making his first Test appearance since 2009 – was trapped lbw by Woakes, with England successfully reviewing before the weather closed in to halt the day's play.
Evergeen Anderson responds to his doubters
It took Anderson, who came in for criticism after posting poor bowling figures of 1-97 in Manchester last week, just eight deliveries to dismiss Masood, with the 38-year-old striking Pakistan's opener bang in front.
His second wicket was another fantastic delivery, drawing Azhar into a flick outside of his off stump, as the seamer moved just eight shy of 600 Test wickets.
Azhar's troubles in England continue
Pakistan's captain scored 0 and 18 in his two innings in the first Test, and despite facing 85 deliveries on Thursday, only managed 20 runs before he succumbed to Anderson.
Azhar came in for criticism after England's stunning turnaround in the first match of the series and really needs to start contributing with the bat to ease the pressure on him.
A dismal day one batting display saw the hosts all out for 183 before India made 21 without loss in reply.
But a productive spell either side of lunch on Thursday, led by bowling great Anderson, brought Joe Root's men back into the reckoning.
Anderson removed Cheteshwar Pujara and old foe Virat Kohli in quick succession, although bad light and rain soon intervened and allowed India to reach the end of play on 125-4.
The tourists had withstood early England pressure and looked on course to finish the first session still unbeaten until Ollie Robinson's short ball – the final delivery before lunch – tempted Rohit Sharma to pick out Sam Curran at the boundary.
Anderson maintained England's momentum following the restart with two wickets in as many balls, including a popular golden duck for captain Kohli, who edged behind.
KL Rahul reached fifty as India sought to regroup, only to then have partner Ajinkya Rahane run out by a clinical direct hit from Jonny Bairstow.
Dom Sibley put down Rishabh Pant from a simple chance and rain fell to further frustrate a resurgent England, who returned twice – first for a single ball and then for two – before heading back to the dressing room again, with play eventually abandoned.
A TIMELY BOWLING BOOST
England were on course to reach the end of the morning session without reward and worse news would great supporters during the interval, with confirmation Jofra Archer will miss the rest of the year, including the Ashes tour of Australia.
How Root could have used the paceman's inspiration as his side started to toil again, staring down the barrel of a fifth defeat in six Tests in their worst barren run since 2018.
Robinson's much-needed breakthrough, in his second match at this level, belatedly provided cause for optimism.
MILESTONE MADE IN STYLE
Anderson's second wicket took him level with Anil Kumble on 619 in Tests, the third-most in history. Of those, 120 have come against India – his most against any team and the most by any player in the men's format – and six have come against Kohli, although this was the first in their rivalry since 2014.
The wicket brought relief then for Anderson, while it was Kohli's fifth Test golden duck, of which three have come in England against England. Indeed, Stuart Broad had Kohli caught behind first ball in his previous away innings against England back in 2018.
Joe Root set the tone on Monday by reverse scooping his second ball against Tim Southee for six, with England looking to score quickly to overturn an 80-run deficit.
Root fell on 176 shortly after, caught at cover off Trent Boult's bowling, while Stuart Broad (nine) followed to Michael Bracewell and Ben Foakes was run out after posting 56.
Boult completed his 10th five-wicket Test haul by bowling Matthew Potts (three) before Bracewell (3-62) dismissed Anderson (nine), with England all out for 539 – only trailing by 14 runs.
Anderson made a bright start as Tom Latham (four) left a straight one to hand the seamer his landmark dismissal, before Will Young and Devon Conway steadied the ship.
Conway's resistance ended when he fell for 52, caught attempting to sweep Jack Leach (1-78), before Henry Nicholls (three) directed a wide Potts ball to Alex Lees at gully.
England were boosted when a mix-up saw Young (56) run out, which brought Tom Blundell together with Daryl Mitchell, the pair who shared 236 in the first innings.
Blundell was then caught off a Stuart Broad (1-53) bouncer on 24, while Bracewell made a brisk 25 before being removed by Potts (2-32) and Southee (nought) was another to be needlessly run out.
Mitchell finished unbeaten on 32 alongside Matt Henry (eight not out), with New Zealand on 224-7, leading by 238 to tee up an enticing final day where all four results are possible.
Awesome Anderson
Anderson shows no sign of relenting in the twilight days of his incredible career, picking up his 650th scalp in red-ball internationals.
Only Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708), both spinners, have taken more Test wickets than the England seamer across his 19-year international career.
Sorry Southee
Unlike the excellent Boult, who posted 5-106, seaming partner Southee struggled in Nottingham. He failed to grab a wicket from his 32 overs, bowling just one maiden and conceding 154 runs.
Southee became just the fifth New Zealand bowler to concede 150-plus runs without a wicket in an innings, while his wicketless figures were the most expensive in a men's Test match at Trent Bridge.
The visitors resumed on Saturday at 315-3 with Harry Brook and Joe Root at the crease, with Brook only adding two more runs to reach 186 off 176 deliveries before getting caught-and-bowled by Matt Henry.
Root, who picked things up at 101 not-out, made his way to 153 not-out from 224 deliveries. After just 28 of his first 101 runs came via boundaries (seven fours), he put the foot down on day two, with 32 of his 52 runs resulting from three fours and three sixes.
New Zealand quick Neil Wagner caused Ben Stokes to mistime a pull shot and lob an easy one to mid-off on 27, and spinner Michael Bracewell removed Ben Foakes (duck) and Stuart Broad (14).
Henry came back in and collected his fourth wicket, dismissing Ollie Robinson for 18, and with England at 435-8 they decided to declare and have a bowl in swinging conditions.
The decision paid early dividends, with Anderson starting like a house on fire.
Anderson got the wicket of opener Devon Conway (duck) in the first over, with a review finding the faintest of edges through to Foakes behind the stumps.
England's all-time leading wicket taker then caught the edge of Black Caps talisman Kane Williamson (four), and Foakes had three catches by the ninth over after Anderson removed Will Young (two).
Anderson's onslaught left New Zealand at 21-3 – the same mark England were before Brook and Root's heroic partnership – but there was little resistance waiting in the wings, as Jack Leach took three wickets and Broad nabbed one to make it 138-7.
For the second day in a row stumps were called hours before the scheduled finish time due to heavy rain, and the weather may be the hosts' only chance of salvaging a result.
Brook second to Bradman
Despite only mustering two more runs after resuming play, Brook's 186 raised his average to 89.88 from nine innings.
Among all players with at least five Test innings, Brook's average is second to only Sir Donald Bradman (99.94).
Anderson's bread and butter
All three of Anderson's early wickets were caught behind by the wicketkeeper – a familiar sight for the legendary quick.
No player has ever registered more dismissals via that method, with Anderson's 191 now giving him 39 more than second-placed Glenn McGrath.
Among the top-five – McGrath, Broad, Courtney Walsh and Dale Steyn – Anderson's percentage of wickets caught behind (27.88 per cent) is the highest.
Anderson, the tourists' all-time leading Test wicket-taker, sustained the damage to his left rib during day five of England's victory in the second Test at Newlands.
The 37-year-old could only bowl eight overs as England strived to level the series in Cape Town and he will play no part in the matches in Port Elizabeth and Johannesburg.
The Proteas posted 151 all out at Old Trafford, with Anderson and Broad taking three wickets each, as South Africa's innings victory at Lord's last time out was quickly forgotten.
England moved to 111-3 at the close in reply after an unbroken stand of 68 for the fourth wicket between Bairstow and Zak Crawley.
Bairstow's 38 not out from 45 balls was not quite a full-blown return to 'Bazball', but his positivity was refreshing as Crawley lived up to his name at the other end, trundling to 17 important runs from 77 deliveries.
At the start of the day, Anderson made a breakthrough in the fifth over after finding early movement off the pitch, having Sarel Erwee caught behind off an inside edge.
Broad soon sent South Africa captain Dean Elgar on his way as Bairstow took a sharp low catch, before the same bowler accounted for Keegan Petersen, snaffled by Joe Root at first slip.
Captain Ben Stokes snagged a fortunate fourth wicket when Aiden Markram mistimed a pull and a top edge was pouched by Ben Foakes, and the skipper had Rassie van der Dussen trapped lbw before lunch as South Africa went in on 77-5, in big trouble.
Anderson pinned Simon Harmer in front, and it was two wickets in two balls as the Lancashire paceman, on his home ground, struck in the same way to remove Keshav Maharaj.
When Broad teased an edge out of Kyle Verreynne, South Africa were 108-8, and Ollie Robinson and Jack Leach picked up a wicket apiece to end lower-order resistance, with Kagiso Rabada the last man out for a team-best 36. Petersen and Verreynne were the only other South African batters to reach 20, both out for 21.
England lost Alex Lees (4), Ollie Pope (23) and Joe Root (9) as Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and Rabada made early inroads, reducing the hosts to 43-3; however, Bairstow and Crawley saw them through to the close without any further setback, building a platform for day two.
Happy hunting ground
Heading into this match, England had lost only one of their nine Tests against South Africa at Old Trafford (W4, D4), a three-wicket loss in July 1955. They defeated the Proteas by 177 runs in their most recent such meeting (August 2017).
Anderson was rested for England's victory over West Indies in the second Test at Old Trafford after Broad was omitted for the opening match of the series in Southampton.
Jofra Archer is available to return for the decider after missing out in Manchester following his breach of bio-secure protocols last week, while Chris Woakes, Sam Curran and Mark Wood will also be hoping to get the nod.
Anderson, 37, thinks England's two leading wicket-takers in Test cricket still merit a place in their best line-up.
Asked if the days of he and Broad sharing the new ball are over, he said: "I really hope not. I think our record together speaks for itself.
"I really like to think that if we're both fit and England are picking their best bowling attack, we'd both be in that. Obviously, there will be moments in the future when we're not bowling together.
"It's happened already in this series and over the last two years, naturally through injury or resting.
"It's going to be different moving forward – I don't think we will play every game together, but I'd like to think that we've got plenty more games together in the future."
He added: "You always want to be in that best team. That's all I've ever tried to do, and it's the same with Stuart.
"We've only ever worked hard to be at the forefront of the captain and coach's mind when they're picking the side – we want to be the first two names on the team sheet.
"But all we can do is keep working hard, keep taking wickets – as Stuart did this week, he bowled brilliantly, especially after the disappointment of not playing in Southampton – so all we can do is keeping working hard and hopefully we get picked."
The third and final Test of the series against the Windies starts at Old Trafford on Friday.
