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."
England's all-time leading wicket-taker Anderson will end his storied red-ball career after the first Test against West Indies on July 10.
Anderson's 700 wickets in 187 Tests are the most by any pace bowler in history but the 41-year-old will bow out as Brendon McCullum's England look to plan for the future.
The Lancashire bowler's farewell international appearance will come at Lord's in the first of three Tests against West Indies, though Anderson suggested a move to the backroom staff could be a possibility.
"I feel excited about what the future might hold, whether that is potentially to stick around with the team this summer in a different sort of capacity, it would be nice," Anderson told the BBC's Tailenders podcast.
Reports emerged on Friday that McCullum is planning for the long term as he looks to reshape England's bowling attack, with the announcement confirmed a day later.
England will be looking to build a team capable of claiming back the Ashes in Australia across 2025-26 and Anderson acknowledged that task may have proved too great.
"It was sort of just looking ahead and could a 43-year-old me make the Ashes in 18 months' time and we sort of came to the decision that probably not," he added.
"From my point of view, it feels like a stretch at this stage of my career and from their [England's] point of view there are 15 or so Tests before the Ashes.
"It gives them time to give other guys Test matches and experiences before that. It feels like the right thing for me and the team going forward. It feels like a good time."
Anderson says he will play for Lancashire before his Test farewell at Lord's, though plans remain unclear on his commitment to the county side after that.
"I am not 100 per cent set on what I am going to do next," he continued.
"That will be a conversation down the line and see what they [Lancashire] want to do and if I have the desire and willingness as well."
As for that final time in England whites, Anderson wants to sign off in style.
Ahead of the West Indies meeting, the England bowler is third on the all-time list of Test wicket-takers behind spinners Muttiah Muralitharan of Sri Lanka and Australia's Shane Warne.
"Nearer the time and around that Test different emotions will start rearing their head," he said. "Right now I am happy with everything.
"I am glad I get to play cricket again. I am looking forward to playing for Lancashire, playing that first Test, having fun on the field and remembering why I started playing the game.
"I would like to end it as I started it, loving bowling, showing my skills and helping the team win."
Anderson claimed three second-innings wickets in his 188th and final Test match to end up with 704 in his 21-year career, third on the all-time list behind Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708).
Those in attendance at Lord's rose to their feet and applauded the England seamer as he left the field of play for one final time.
"I'm a bit overwhelmed, actually. I have been all week. Walking to the ground, taking to the field. The crowd, the players. It has been amazing. It feels really special.
"It is special to win and to contribute as well. I'm happy I got a couple of top-order batters out in the second innings.
"I have been using hayfever as an excuse all week. There's been a few moments when it has been emotional. My daughters ringing the bell, walking out this morning.
"When I ran up to bowl my first ball I was in a daze and had not even thought where I was going to bowl."
Anderson kickstarted England's search for four wickets to ensure the triumph by bowling out Joshua Da Silva (9) having walked out to a guard of honour at Lord's.
The 41-year-old was almost given the dream send-off but was unable to hold Gudakesh Motie's follow through.
Instead, it would be Test debutant Gus Atkinson to capture the final wicket, becoming the first England bowler to take a 10-wicket match haul on debut since John Lever in India in 1976.
"It would have been nice to get that catch. I should have got two hands to it. It was an awkward height and didn't stick. But I'm just happy we got the win," Anderson said.
"I am also buzzing for Gus. He has been around the group for a while now. He has worked really hard and to see him go out there and perform like that is amazing."
With England's bowling in the seemingly capable hands of Atkinson, Anderson will now look forward to a life away from the sport.
"It is difficult to know. I have never retired before so it is hard to think about how you will feel," Anderson said.
"It is good that I am sticking with the group all summer. We have a group of talented young bowlers who can have a great career at this level. So this is my job for the rest of the summer.
"At some point I will sit down and reflect on my career I've never really done that you are always thinking about the next series and next game."
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.
The tourists kick off a three-match series in Rawalpindi on December 1, marking their first return to the country for red-ball cricket since 2005.
England had not toured Pakistan in the wake of the Sri Lanka bus attack in 2009 until September this year, when they returned to the nation for a seven-game T20 series ahead of the World Cup.
But having won six out of seven Tests on home turf under an all-guns-blazing approach from captain Stokes and coach McCullum, Anderson is ready to maintain the momentum on their trip overseas.
"We've got a captain and coach that don't want draws," the 40-year-old told BBC Sport. "We're not playing for draws.
"We don't know how it's going to play. Traditionally it is flat. We'll come out and try to win the game - we might have to be creative in how we do that."
Though a member of the party for England's last Test tour of Pakistan in 2005, Anderson did not feature, but he did play in a string of ODI matches.
That means the veteran red-ball specialist is in the dark on what to expect from his wicket, although he says he is still delighted to finally get the chance to play the longer format there.
"It's great to be back," he said. "Seventeen years is a long time. It would be wrong if I said, 'The pitch is going to play like this', or, 'This is what to expect'.
"There will be times when we have to soak up pressure. We get that.
"But there will be times when we have to put pressure back on the opposition and the skill we're trying to develop is when to do that.
"With the ball we're trying to take wickets. The captain and coach have made that quite clear - every time you run in to bowl it's about taking wickets - not about controlling the run-rate. It's about how we're going to get 20 wickets."
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."
Both have been left out of the squad for next month's tour after a dismal Ashes series led to the departure of head coach Chris Silverwood.
Interim managing director of cricket Andrew Strauss – who replaced the outgoing Ashley Giles – as well as interim coach Paul Collingwood and head scout James Taylor made up a three-man selection committee ahead of the series, which begins in Antigua on March 8.
Strauss insists there remains a way back for both bowlers, who have taken 1,177 Test wickets between them.
However, Anderson – who turns 40 in July – said on the Tailenders podcast: "I'm praying this isn't the end.
"But if I never play for England again, I know I've got amazing people around me to support me and that's really important."
He confirmed his intention to perform for Lancashire when the County Championship starts in April, with the aim of working his way back into England reckoning.
"I've got one more go at digging deep," Anderson added. "I've got a lot left to offer – I've still got the hunger and passion to play.
"It was a shock and a disappointment to get that call but having processed it, it's important I try to focus on stuff I can control and that's showing people what I can do with the ball in my hand."
Anderson is England's record Test wicket-taker with 640 to his name in 169 matches at an average of 26.58, and has taken five wickets in an innings 31 times, more than any other England bowler.
Broad had previously hit out at his own omission, writing in the Daily Mail earlier this month: "I am waking up more confused and angrier with each passing day. I feel gutted.
"Do I need to prove myself again? In my mind, I've nothing to prove. I am a proven performer, so it is now about the English cricketing summer and targeting the home series against New Zealand in June."
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.
Legendary England seamer Anderson claimed a staggering 7-19 from 10 overs on day two of the County Championship match at Old Trafford.
England's record Test wicket-taker, and holder of the most caps for his country in the longest format, tore through Kent in a stunning spell from the James Anderson End.
He took seven of the first eight Kent wickets to fall, reducing them to a pitiful 34-8.
Anderson, who turns 39 this month, reached the 1,000 mark in his 262nd first-class match and bettered his previous best first in an innings of 7-42, which came in England's defeat of West Indies at Lord's in September 2017.
That was the match in which Anderson claimed his 500th Test scalp.
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.
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.
Anderson swung his team back into contention against the tourists with two quickfire wickets, getting Cheteshwar Pujara out caught behind before Kohli – who was out for a golden duck to Stuart Broad in his last English innings in 2018 – followed in the same manner.
India had been threatening to take the game away from Joe Root's side after putting on an unbeaten 97 for the first wicket, however, four wickets reduced Kohli's men to 125-4 at the end of a rain-affected second day.
The wicket of Kohli, who Anderson had not dismissed in 454 balls since 2014, represented the Lancashire bowler's 619th wicket in Test cricket – moving him level with India's spinning great Anil Kumble.
Asked where Kohli's day-two wicket ranked among his other 618, Anderson said: "It's obviously right up there, it's always good to get a world-class player out. You always want to challenge yourself against the best and he certainly is one of the best.
"There was definitely some emotion there in the celebration, getting him out early and knowing how important that is for the team."
While Anderson's back-to-back deliveries changed the mood in Nottingham, it was Ollie Robinson who got things going with the removal of Rohit Sharma, caught pulling on the boundary by Sam Curran.
Indeed, Robinson and Anderson, who is now joint-third for the most wickets in Test history, were the pick of England's all-seam four-man attack but the 39-year-old insisted the hosts' bowlers must stick to their own strengths.
"I try and not focus on individuals really, I think it's important that we as bowlers focus on what we do best, our strengths, and my strength," Anderson added.
"My first spell one of my strengths is swinging the ball, I was trying to swing it away and get the edge of the two openers. Then when I came back it was more trying to attack the stumps, we slightly changed the field to try and bowl that touch straighter.
"It's more focusing on us and trying to take that individual battle and the individual batsmen out of it, we bowl best when we focus on ourselves."
It was announced on Thursday, though, that Anderson will have to wait to partner up with Jofra Archer again as the fast bowler will be out injured for the rest of 2021 – crucially missing the T20 World Cup and Ashes series in Australia.
Archer, who burst onto the scene with 20 wickets in the 2019 World Cup-winning campaign before following up with 22 in his debut Ashes series, has been suffering with an elbow injury and will play no further part this year.
"It's a huge disappointment for Jofra and the team, he has been a really influential part of the team since he started playing for England," Anderson continued.
"Obviously he's a huge miss for what's coming up for the rest of the year but I also think this sort of injury is something that has been bugging him for quite a while, so I think hopefully now this will be the end of it; get it settled, get it healed and come back stronger.
"He's been great for this team and we want him back fully fit and firing so hopefully however long it takes that will happen in the next few months."
