On this day 20 years ago, Brian Lara regained the individual Test score world record on his way to an unbeaten 400 against England in the fourth Test in Antigua.

Ten years after hitting 375 to claim the world record for an individual innings against England at the same venue, Lara exceeded that effort by becoming the first player in history to score 400.

By doing so, he became the first player to hold the individual Test innings record twice.

Lara reclaimed his record from Australian Matthew Hayden, who only six months earlier had broken the record with 380 in Perth in October 2003.

Lara’s mammoth innings steered the West Indies to a total of 751 for five before declaring and reflecting on his achievement, he said: “When I scored it before I didn’t know what to expect – this time it was very tiring, but I’m here again.

“Matthew Hayden must have batted very well against Zimbabwe because it doesn’t matter who you are playing against, it’s very hard.

“It’s a great feeling, but it’s dampened by the series result. Ten years ago the match ended in a draw, but this time we’re looking for a result.”

Upon achieving the record, Lara was greeted in the middle by Baldwin Spencer, the Prime Minister of Antigua, while England captain Michael Vaughan hailed Lara as “one of the all-time great players”.

“We all set out to achieve greatness, but he is a gifted, gifted player – throughout his innings we tested him with a few things but he was much better than us for those two days,” Vaughan said.

“He is one of the all-time great players, he has achieved something that has never been achieved before even with the amount of pressure he had on him before the start of this Test.

“He will go down as one of the greats of the game and it will take some player and some performance to beat his 400.”

Mahela Jayawardene went close with 374 for Sri Lanka against South Africa two years later but Lara remains first and third on the list two decades on.

Rehan Ahmed is relaxed about his potential opportunities over the coming months after enjoying every minute of England duty this winter.

Leicestershire leg-spinner Ahmed became the country’s youngest ever men’s Test player in 2022 when he claimed a five-wicket haul on debut against Pakistan in Karachi, but had to wait a further 14 months for another shot at red-ball cricket for England.

The teenager relished the prospect of doing battle with India and picked up 11 wickets across three Tests.

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Ahmed, 19, is refreshed and ready to go again but has not set himself any major summer targets despite a T20 World Cup being on the horizon along with home Test series against West Indies and Pakistan.

“I’m not really fussed about what I’m trying to achieve this year,” Ahmed insisted when asked about the prospect of a home Test debut this summer.

“I’ve tried to do as much as I can within myself. So, whether that’s me getting my overs in, me getting as many runs as I can, because I love my batting and I’ve underperformed; I want to bat better.

“There’s a couple of things I really want to work on and if that takes me there, that takes me there.

“And if it doesn’t, and the balance of the teams is not right and whatnot, there are loads of things to take into account.

“I’ll be playing county cricket straight away. Leicester comes first when I’m not playing for England. I didn’t know if I wanted to play because I wanted a break, but I’ve had two weeks off and I just want to play again.”

Ahmed was part of a novice three-man spin-attack alongside Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir that flourished at times in India, but there are concerns over the number of overs the trio will get during the opening months of the domestic season.

However, the 19-year-old is not about to make any outlandish demands to his Leicestershire coaches over his bowling or batting role in a team-comes-first mentality that clearly owes much to Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

He added: “It’s not a case where I come in and bat where I want.

“Obviously I’ve not been here all winter. The lads have been working hard so they deserve it first, so if I make the team and I play, then hopefully I’ll get a bat.

“Bowling in matches is something I’ve lacked a bit. I’ve bowled a lot in white-ball, not heaps of overs in red-ball plus it’s April, going to be nipping round corners.

“I don’t expect to bowl loads of overs because if the seamers are getting wickets, they are getting wickets and the team comes first, but I’ll be bowling loads in training.”

Ahmed is also sure to be bouncing ideas off new buddy Bashir, who may struggle for overs at Somerset, after the pair struck up a close bond during the India tour.

“Bash was unbelievable to be with.  He made the made the trip so (much) fun for me,” Ahmed revealed.

“And his confidence was different level and that’s something I love to see because that’s exactly like how I was as well, we just kept bouncing off each other. It was great.

“I think the way Bash came into the game. Even with Harts coming in, the way I came in, it gives hope for everyone else as well.

“It doesn’t mean you have to bowl a load of overs in the champo and focus on swing and seam.  You just need to be different and be committed to it.”

Zak Crawley insists England will not adopt a “negative” approach after their recent 4-1 series defeat in India but acknowledged they must learn when to absorb pressure.

India inflicted the first series loss of the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum era after they stormed back from going one down in Hyderabad to win the last four Tests in comprehensive fashion.

It sparked debate over England’s aggressive ‘Bazball’ style following a string of batting collapses and head coach McCullum accepted they had to refine their style moving forward.

Crawley said: “We always talk about absorbing pressure and putting pressure back on.

“The last couple of years we’ve done the putting pressure back on pretty well and we’ve spoken about maybe picking those moments to absorb at the right times as well. We can certainly refine that.

“That’s not to say we’re going to get more negative. We will still try to play the way we have and try to score quickly but yeah, picking those moments where they’re on top and we need to absorb.

“Or even the other way where they’re on top and you feel like you need to put it back on. It is just getting it right.

“(Stokes) spoke about it after the series where we need a little bit of refinement. It is not big changes.

“We just need to make sure we stay positive and don’t let a tough result get in the way of what we’re done really well over the last couple of years.”

England’s strategy of moving the game forward quickly with higher run-rates and early declarations took the cricket world by storm as they won 10 of their first 11 Tests under Stokes and McCullum.

However, seven defeats have followed from the next 12 matches and a lack of a ruthless streak has cost England at times.

After England posted a first innings total of 353 in the fourth Test in Ranchi, they reduced India to 177 for seven but let the hosts off the hook and, instead of setting up a series decider, they crumbled to a crushing five-wicket defeat.

“We genuinely believed in ourselves and thought we could win the series,” Crawley, speaking at a sponsors event for Swiss watch brand Rado, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s official timing partner, admitted.

“We should have won in Ranchi, I think, to make it 2-2 and then you never know how the last one goes.

“When the series goes like that, it is always hard to wrestle the momentum back but we were in the series massively and we always believed.

“We certainly weren’t in the games when I was in India last time (in 2021), so we gave ourselves a good chance and we weren’t quite clinical enough like they were.

“Over five days, their skills are always going to come out and they are a phenomenal team. It was a really enjoyable tour though, we gave it a good crack and there is a lot to learn from.”

A beacon of light again for England was Crawley, who for the second series in a row led the scoring charts for his team.

The Kent batter was notably labelled as a player whose “skillset is not to be a consistent cricketer” by McCullum in 2022.

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A string of low scores increased the external noise around his position prior to last summer’s Ashes but the 26-year-old always retained the faith of England’s key decision-makers.

Now, 12 months on, Crawley has hit seven 50+ scores and averaged 46.7 against the two best attacks in the world, which included a sensational 189 at Old Trafford last July.

“I feel in a lot better place than I was,” Crawley added.

“I’m not trying to put too much pressure on any games to be honest. When I am playing for England or for Kent, I just try and turn up with the same process.

“I am trying to embrace failure more and accepting it is part of the game and sticking with what I do well.”

Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft were all given lengthy bans for their part in Australia’s ball-tampering scandal six years ago.

Captain Smith and vice-captain Warner were both handed 12-month suspensions while Bancroft, the batsman who was caught on camera attempting to change the condition of the ball using sandpaper during the third Test against South Africa, was banned for nine months.

Cricket Australia chairman David Peever said: “The CA board understands and shares the anger of fans and the broader Australian community about these events.

“They go to the integrity and reputation of Australian Cricket and Australian sport and the penalties must reflect that.

“These are significant penalties for professional players and the board does not impose them lightly. It is hoped that following a period of suspension, the players will be able to return to playing the game they love and eventually rebuild their careers.”

Smith and Bancroft gave a press conference after the third day’s play where they admitted a premeditated attempt to tamper with the ball.

Smith spoke of a “leadership group” making the decision to tamper with the ball and, in announcing the severe punishments, CA revealed Warner, 31, was charged with devising the plan, instructing a junior player – Bancroft – to carry it out and demonstrating how to do it.

Smith gave a tearful press conference on his return to Australia, saying: “I know I’ll regret this for the rest of my life, I’m absolutely gutted. I hope in time I can earn back respect and forgiveness.

“I’ve been so privileged and honoured to represent my country and captain Australia. Cricket is the greatest game in the world and it’s been my life – I hope it can be again. I’m absolutely devastated.”

Smith and Warner both returned to the Australia side at the Cricket World Cup in 2019, with the former made vice-captain of the Test side in 2021, while Bancroft played for his country again in the Ashes series the same summer.

England batter Ollie Pope is “itching” to play again after reflecting on the mistakes he made during a frustrating tour of India as an individual and a team.

Pope starred in a remarkable first Test win in Hyderabad with a sparkling 196, but failed to go beyond 39 in his next eight innings and was out for a pair in Ranchi.

It was a similar story for a number of his team-mates with India able to win the final four Tests comprehensively to inflict the first series defeat of the Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum reign.

The series marked Pope’s return to action after he dislocated his right shoulder during the Ashes last summer.

While the 26-year-old spent most of the winter on the road, he was back training for Surrey on Monday and is eyeing plenty of Vitality County Championship runs before the home Test series with West Indies in July.

“Straight back into it – our choice. I feel pretty fresh,” Pope said at a sponsors event for Swiss watch brand Rado, the England and Wales Cricket Board’s official timing partner.

“Obviously I had that seven months out and leaving that India tour, if I had scored another three 70s or something, I might be feeling slightly differently but I almost feel frustrated.

“I feel like I’m in really good nick without putting together those scores, so hopefully I can go and find that rhythm of putting together big scores… at three, unless Stewie (Alec Stewart, Surrey director of cricket) drops me!

“I might miss one in that first seven or eight games, but yes, I’m itching to get back and just scoring runs and representing Surrey.”

England should play the long game with Jofra Archer and prime him for India’s visit next year as well as the 2025/26 Ashes, according to former fast bowler Steve Harmison.

Archer’s last Test was more than three years ago, but he remains a much-coveted asset and England are hopeful he will be available for their T20 World Cup title defence in the Caribbean in June.

Harmison, though, believes the next two marquee five-Test series against India in the summer of 2025 then in Australia the following winter should take priority above all else where Archer is concerned.

“It’s slowly but surely with him,” Harmison told the PA news agency. “I’d build Jofra Archer up to play in 10 Test matches over the next two years – five against India and five against Australia or four each.

“I’d treat him like a prize racehorse. If England can keep him fit for the majority of those two series, I’d feel as though they have got a chance of winning.

“If he can play in Test matches in between and his body is holding up then everything after that is a bonus.”

Archer has had a succession of stress fractures in his bowling elbow and another in his back since his most recent red-ball appearance for England, while his last professional appearance was 10 months ago.

He joined England in Barbados before Christmas during their white-ball tour of the West Indies and took part in some bowling drills as part of his rehabilitation from the latest setback in his right elbow.

Just a couple of days afterwards, Archer, who was awarded a two-year central contract in October, blindsided England by playing for his old school side in the Barbados Cricket Association league.

But Harmison feels it could be better for everyone involved if the 28-year-old is allowed to get back to full fitness away from prying eyes.

“When I heard he was playing in that game in Barbados, I was over the moon, I just wish he had told (England’s managing director of men’s cricket) Rob Key first,” Harmison said.

“If he turns up for the T20 World Cup, fantastic, if he turns up for a Test match this summer, fantastic, but the most important thing for me is about his mental health and making sure he’s in a position to play cricket without thinking, ‘In however many weeks, I’m going to be injured again’.

“The more he does the bowling repetition and the muscle memory stuff under less scrutiny and less pressure, the better it will be for him coming back into top-level cricket.”

England have won three and lost six of their last 10 Tests against India and Australia and, in both series, there were instances where Ben Stokes’ side let promising positions slip.

After India sealed a 4-1 triumph in Dharamsala on Sunday, England head coach Brendon McCullum admitted they were too “timid” in passages and said their ‘Bazball’ style would be refined.

Harmison, who criticised England’s lack of a warm-up match before the series, expects them to rebound with six wins out of six against the West Indies and Sri Lanka this summer, but he insisted there must be lessons learned from what happened in India.

“They’ll win all six Test matches comfortably,” said Harmison, who played 123 times for England between 2002 and 2009. “It’s not a case of looking at just the summer, they’ve got to look beyond that.

“They’ve got to be smarter in identifying situations. We’ve got some cricket brains leading this team, but sometimes inside that dressing room, we might have individual characters who are happy to say, ‘That’s the way we play’, and that’s not good enough for me, it’s not acceptable.

“They have to be more accountable when they make mistakes. This is not the Dog and Duck, this is Test match cricket.

“Having the crutch of, ‘That’s the way we play, it’s Bazball’. No, Bazball is giving you the freedom to be the best version of yourself possible. You’ve still got to play the situation.”

James Anderson took his 700th Test wicket as England lost the fifth Test against India in Dharamsala.

Anderson is the leading Test wicket-taker among seam bowlers, behind only spin greats Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne in the overall list.

Here, the PA news agency looks at his career record.

Record-breaker

Anderson and his long-time new-ball partner Stuart Broad are two of only five bowlers ever to take 600 or more Test wickets, a list headed by Sri Lanka star Muralitharan’s remarkable 800.

Warne is next up with 708 for Australia, with Anderson following on exactly 700, Anil Kumble 619 and Broad 604. Anderson’s average of 26.53 ranks third in that group behind Muralitharan (22.73) and Warne (25.42), with Broad at 27.69 and Kumble 29.65.

Anderson has 32 five-wicket hauls, 12 more than Broad but behind the three spinners and seventh overall in Test cricket. Muralitharan is again out in front with a scarcely believable 67, with Warne’s 37 ranking second among all Test bowlers. Kumble took 35.

Four other bowlers have taken over 500 wickets – Australia seamer Glenn McGrath and spinner Nathan Lyon with 563 and 527 respectively, West Indies great Courtney Walsh on 519 and India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, who reached 516 after taking 26 in the five-Test series against England.

Vintage performer

One of the more remarkable aspects of Anderson’s Test career is the way he has improved with age.

From the start of 2014, when he was already 31 with the wear and tear of 91 Tests as a new-ball paceman in his legs, he has more than doubled his tally of games and taken an astonishing 360 further wickets at 22.67.

Only 23 bowlers including Anderson have that many wickets in their full Test career and, of those, only three have an average lower than his in that phase – West Indies greats Malcolm Marshall at 20.94 and Curtly Ambrose at 20.99, and McGrath at 21.64.

That is boosted by 123 wickets at 24.08 since the start of 2020, despite passing his 40th birthday along the way.

Hundred at HQ

Anderson is one of only four bowlers to take over 100 Test wickets at a single venue, capturing 119 at Lord’s to Broad’s 113.

Muralitharan achieved the feat at three different grounds – 166 at Colombo’s SSC, 117 in Kandy and 111 at Galle, where fellow Sri Lanka spinner Rangana Herath took 102.

Anderson’s record at Trent Bridge may be even more impressive than at HQ, with 73 wickets at a stunning average of 19.23 across 12 Tests. The Lancastrian has 38 at 23.58 on his home ground of Old Trafford.

Ben Stokes declared “write this team off, write me off at your own peril” after his England side ended their tour of India with an abject defeat inside three days in Dharamsala.

James Anderson becoming the third bowler and first non-spinner to reach 700 Test wickets on Saturday was relegated to secondary status by England’s meek batting display as they lost by an innings and 64 runs.

A fourth successive defeat and seventh in 12 Tests was confirmed within just eight sessions of play, with England on a downward slide after winning 10 of their first 11 under Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

The duo’s methods have come under scrutiny during a 4-1 series defeat and Stokes has underperformed, averaging 19.9 with the bat, but the England captain was bullish about his team’s future prospects.

“Not just myself but the team are big enough to say we’ve been completely outplayed in the last four games,” Stokes said. “I’m always man enough to say we got beaten by the better team.

“Failure is a great teacher to sports teams. You either let failure and disappointment eat you up and shoot you down or you learn from failure and you make sure you don’t lose the enthusiasm of what we do.

“This series shouldn’t affect anything we’ve managed to achieve before this tour. It’s the first time, particularly these last four games, that this team has been dominated pretty much the whole time.

“We will use this as inspiration to become a better team and to become better players. I am obviously disappointed with my performance, but write this team off, write me off at your own peril.”

While Joe Root made 84 before he was last man out, he lacked a useful foil as England were skittled for 195, needing 259 to make India bat again, as Ravichandran Ashwin banked five for 77 on his 100th Test.

England have reached 400 just once in this series – in their famous triumph in Hyderabad in the opener – and what has been billed as an attack-minded mantra under this leadership has been questioned.

“The media name ‘Bazball’ – everyone says, ‘what is it?’ – in my opinion it’s wanting to be a better player,” Stokes said.

“In the face of defeat and failure, ‘Bazball’ will hopefully inspire people to become better players and become even better than what we are.

“I think we’ve done a lot of things right. One thing India have done is stay true to what makes them successful. We have done that but not been able to execute how we’d like to.

“Whenever we managed to wrestle back any type of momentum with the ball or bat, India were always able to then put it back on to us. That was where the Tests after the first one were won and lost.”

Stokes, who played his 100th Test in Rajkot, refused to make any excuses at the end of an anticlimactic few months for England in all formats. As well as this defeat, they were knocked out of the Cricket World Cup at the group stage and lost both ODI and T20 series in the West Indies.

“If we we weren’t disappointed, if we weren’t frustrated at how the series has ended up, I don’t really know what other emotions you could have,” Stokes said.

“Use it as fuel. I always feel like I can’t work any harder, but I’ll come away from this tour and go home and work even harder than what I have done out here for the summer coming up.”

Anderson, with his father in the crowd, finally joined Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne in the 700 club. The 41-year-old spent several months in the 690s but the moment came when Kuldeep Yadav hung out his bat and edged through to wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.

“He doesn’t play the game for the milestones, he plays for his team-mates and England,” Stokes added. “He’s just an unbelievable ambassador for the game and in particular fast bowling.

“If someone came up to me and said who should I emulate if I want to be a good fast bowler, the first name I’d say is Jimmy Anderson.”

Sir Alastair Cook and Steven Finn backed former team-mate James Anderson to keep chasing records after he claimed his 700th Test wicket during England’s series-ending loss to India at Dharamsala.

Anderson reached the milestone when he had Kuldeep Yadav caught behind by Ben Foakes at the start of day three of the fifth Test.

While England went on to be dismissed for 195 to lose by an innings and 64 runs in the final Test of the series, the plaudits rolled in for Anderson, who is the only seamer to reach the 700-wicket mark and has Shane Warne’s tally of 708 in his sights.

TNT Sports pundit Cook even joked the 41-year-old would have half an eye on the record 800-wicket haul of Sri Lankan great Muttiah Muralitharan.

Cook said: “You go to Dharamsala as a fan and see your side get drubbed but at least you can say you were there when the only seamer in Test history got to 700 wickets.

“It was a great moment and who knows when he will stop.

“I think he would like to knock Warne off and I don’t want to say he can’t get to Muralitharan!

“Jesus, 700 is a lot, a lot of effort.”

Ex-England seamer Finn hailed Anderson’s ability to adapt given the Lancashire veteran made his Test debut back in 2003.

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“My word what a player he is,” Finn added.

“He has been a remarkable player, with his ability to evolve and adapt with the times, to stay fit and bowl at the same pace now as he did eight or nine years ago.

“What a setting to do it, at the foot of the Himalayas. To get 700 wickets in 187 games is truly remarkable.”

Anderson’s captain Ben Stokes insisted the 187-Test capped bowler should serve as inspiration for aspiring seamers.

Stokes admitted: “Yeah, amazing to be on the field. I’ve been lucky enough to be on the field for some of the milestones Jimmy has got to but being there for 700 wickets as a seamer is quite phenomenal.

“I’ve said many times he is someone every young kid who wants to be a fast bowler should look up to and try to emulate everything he has done.

“He is 41 years old, he is as fit as I’ve ever seen him and I honestly just don’t know when he will stop because the desire, commitment and everything is still there. It’s great to watch.”

England’s tour of India ended in abject fashion as they were hammered by an innings and 64 runs inside three days, with not even James Anderson’s 700th Test wicket masking another batting capitulation.

Anderson became the third bowler and first non-spinner to reach the milestone on the third morning of the fifth Test, dismissing Kuldeep Yadav early on, but India’s lead of 259 at the halfway stage was ominous.

While Joe Root amassed 84, Ravichandran Ashwin ran amok on his 100th Test with five for 77 as England were all out for 195 in 48.1 overs in Dharamsala for a seventh loss in their last dozen Tests.

Ashwin was disruptor-in-chief, taking five wickets as England lurched to 113 for six then 141 for eight and even though Root battled away, his efforts were in vain.

India run out 4-1 series winners and while England had their moments in the first four Tests, they have been outclassed inside eight sessions at the picture-perfect HPCA Stadium in the Himalayan foothills.

The writing has been on the wall since England collapsed from 175 for three to 218 all out on the first day and, Root excepted, there were signs of scrambled minds from the batters on a relatively blameless pitch on Saturday as they succumbed to a heaviest innings loss of the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum era.

Ben Duckett had not ran down the wicket to the spinners in this series and had never done so against Ashwin. But perhaps a lack of trust in his defence led to him advancing to Ashwin and toe-ending on to his stumps in the second over.

The pressure told on Zak Crawley after 15 dot balls as he turned his 16th delivery to close-in fielder Sarfaraz Khan while Ollie Pope made a chancy 19 before premeditating a sweep which took a top edge and ballooned to Yashasvi Jaiswal as England’s top-three were sent packing by Ashwin inside 10 overs.

Root was busy and Jonny Bairstow purposeful in a 56-run stand off just 50 balls. Bairstow muscled three leg-side sixes in the space of seven Ashwin deliveries but Jasprit Bumrah, deputising for India captain Rohit Sharma being off the field, simply shuffled his pack and was rewarded.

Kuldeep produced a three-card trick, with two googlies negotiated before a ripping delivery that spun back in and rapped Bairstow on the pad. Encouraged to review by Root, Bairstow started trudging off for 39 off 31 deliveries long before ball-tracking confirmed his fate on his 100th Test.

Root seemed unperturbed by what was unfolding at the other end and helped England beyond three figures with a gorgeous drive for four off Kuldeep but Stokes fell to the final ball of the morning session.

Stokes’ batting returns have dwindled in this series and his dismissal for two was his fourth single-figure score in a row, outfoxed by Ashwin’s arm ball and bowled through the gate. It was the 13th time the England captain has been dismissed by Ashwin in 17 Tests. No one has more success against him.

Still 156 short of making India bat again, the writing was on the wall as Root and Ben Foakes resumed after lunch. Foakes went for an uncharacteristic slog sweep and saw his bails dislodged as Ashwin, whose family in the stands were on their feet, raised the ball to celebrate his five-for.

Tom Hartley made 20 but was deceived by a slower delivery and lbw to Bumrah, whose toe-crushing yorker two balls later meant a pair in the match for Mark Wood.

Root went to fifty with a flick for four off Bumrah and continued on his merry way, finding some support from Shoaib Bashir, who was bowled for 13 by Ravindra Jadeja and tried to review, unaware his timbers had been disturbed.

With only Anderson for company, Root went on the charge and holed out off Kuldeep to complete England’s misery 10 minutes before tea.

The morning started brightly for England as Anderson, with his father in the crowd, finally joined Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne in the 700 club. The 41-year-old spent several months in the 690s but the moment came when Kuldeep hung out his bat and edged through to Foakes to depart for 30.

Anderson soaked in the congratulations of his team-mates at his historic moment held the ball aloft in a typically low-key celebration.

India added just four to their overnight total as they were all out for 477, Bumrah the last to go for 20 as Bashir claimed five for 173 from 46.1 overs. Anderson wanted Bashir to lead England off the field before the pair walked off together.

England are battling to avoid a three-day defeat in Dharamsala as Ravichandran Ashwin caused havoc among the top-order after James Anderson became the first fast bowler to record 700 Test wickets.

Anderson joined former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and the late Australia leg-break bowler Shane Warne in the 700 club by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav on the third morning of the fifth Test.

India were all out for 477 and a lead of 259 before Ashwin ran amok on his 100th Test, bagging both England openers, Ollie Pope and Ben Stokes as the tourists ended the session on 103 for five.

Jonny Bairstow briefly rallied on his 100th Test with three big sixes off Ashwin but there was to be no memorable end to the series for the Yorkshireman as he was dismissed before lunch for 39 off 31 balls.

A 4-1 series defeat now appears all but inevitable and England’s hopes of not losing by an innings rest on Joe Root, who is on 34 not out after Stokes was castled by Ashwin with the last ball of the session.

After a chastening past couple of days, England broke out in smiles when Anderson kissed the outside edge of Kuldeep on the way through to Ben Foakes for 30. The evergreen 41-year-old soaked in the congratulations of his team-mates before raising the ball in a typically low-key celebration.

Shoaib Bashir had his five-for as India added just four runs to their overnight score, with the young off-spinner bagging Jasprit Bumrah for 20 to finish with five for 173. Anderson and Bashir each deferred to the other to lead England off the field before walking off together.

It was not long before England were in trouble when their innings started, Ashwin making the breakthrough in his first over when Ben Duckett uncharacteristically charged down the wicket and toe-ended the ball on to his off stump.

Zak Crawley made a 16-ball duck, dismissed after turning Ashwin to backward short-leg while Pope was sketchy again, making 19 before premeditating a sweep which ballooned off the top edge to Yashasvi Jaiswal.

Bairstow was purposeful and muscled three sixes in the space of seven Ashwin deliveries but was lbw when Kuldeep found sharp turn off the pitch. A review failed to save him as HawkEye showed the ball brushing the top of the stumps.

Despite bagging a wicket with his first ball yesterday, Stokes’ troubles with the bat continued as he was dismissed for a 13th time by Ashwin on the stroke of lunch, bowled through the gate by one that skidded on.

James Anderson continues to defy the sands of time, claiming his 700th Test wicket aged 41 for England in their fifth Test against India in Dharamsala.

Here, the PA news agency looks at five other sportspeople from the UK whose longevity is unparalleled in their chosen professions.

Sir Steve Redgrave – rowing

The only man in history to win gold at five successive Olympics in an endurance sport. Redgrave first stood atop the podium at a Games in Los Angeles 1984 and reigned supreme until Sydney 2000 – four years after his memorable utterance: “Anybody who sees me in a boat has my permission to shoot me” in 1996.

Ryan Giggs – football

The most decorated player in English football history with 34 trophies, the Welshman went 23 seasons in a row scoring at least one goal in the top-flight. The ex-Manchester United winger played over 1,000 games for club and country, penning his first deal as a 17-year-old in 1990 before bowing out in 2014.

Ronnie O’Sullivan – snooker

Seven days before his 18th birthday, O’Sullivan toppled the great Stephen Hendry in the final of the 1993 UK Championship. While it took another eight years to win a first world title, the Chigwell-based potter has won another six since then and most observers would argue he remains the best player today.

Sir AP McCoy – horse racing

A champion jockey for a record 20 successive times in every year that he was a professional, the Northern Irishman rode 4,358 winners. McCoy won almost every notable horse race in Britain and Ireland and capped his career with a long-awaited Grand National triumph in 2010, retiring five years later.

James Roby – rugby league

In an often brutal sport where injuries can soon take their toll, the former St Helens captain broke the mould with a 20-season career and finished as the leading appearance-maker in Super League’s summer era with 495 matches. Roby was a six-time Super League and two-time World Club Challenge winner.

Age and injuries have been insufficient roadblocks as James Anderson has set another stratospheric benchmark, unlikely to ever be beaten.

There are few other sportspeople that have given Father Time such a run for their money than the evergreen swing king, who aged 41 years and 223 days and in his 23rd year as an international fast bowler has just bagged his 700th Test wicket in England’s fifth Test against India in Dharamsala.

Only Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and the late Shane Warne (708) have more but Anderson is out of sight among non-spinners and may never be toppled, with closest challenger Stuart Broad retiring last year.

It is doubtful Anderson would be where he is without Broad, who owes just as much of his success to the Lancastrian. The pair are indelibly linked and their partnership fits comfortably alongside McGrath-Warne, Wasim-Waqar and Walsh-Ambrose as one of the best of all-time.

There are those who seek to downplay their achievements, that their records are gilded in home conditions with more modest successes overseas. But statistics can obscure the bigger picture and Anderson was instrumental in England’s two greatest away victories in a generation.

Sir Alastair Cook took the plaudits with his insatiable appetite for runs in the 2010/11 Ashes but the leading wicket-taker was Anderson, whose immaculate control and key breakthroughs led to him being described as “the major difference” by Mahendra Singh Dhoni when England beat India in 2012 in a series where all other quicks floundered.

Sir Ian Botham’s 383 wickets are long since in the rear view mirror and much like the great all-rounder’s fine wines, Anderson kept getting better with age. Since his 30th birthday he has taken 432 wickets at 24.13 while that average sinks to a scarcely believable 22.86 after turning 35.

Rewind to December 2002, the start of his life with England, and Anderson was a terrorising paceman who swung the ball round corners and possessed immaculate seam control. He made an impression in the 2003 World Cup before taking a five-for on Test debut against Zimbabwe later that year.

His career stalled over the next few years, partly because well-meaning coaches attempting to iron out kinks in his action to prevent stress fractures in his back had the unintended consequence of inducing stress fractures in his back.

He filtered out the bad advice and after being in and out of the side, his and Broad’s inclusion in New Zealand in March 2008 marked a changing of the guard as Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison were ushered out.

The connection was not instantaneous and England had to bide their time, but they struck up a union that brought four Ashes series victories between 2009 and 2015 during a golden period in which they also climbed to the top of the Test rankings between 2011 and 2012.

As Anderson’s career has progressed, so too has his meticulous planning to his craft. As his speeds dropped, he focused on a metronomic line and length to constrain batters although he was still capable of producing the odd ‘magic ball’. That was evidenced with his 500th Test scalp as he pegged back the middle stump of West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite in 2017 en route to career best figures of seven for 42 at Lord’s.

Afterwards, Anderson admitted to feeling “not quite teary but emotional” – a break from his more natural sullen and occasionally grumpy demeanour.

Apart from one heated confrontation with India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja in 2014, that hostility was self-contained. Anderson is a more self-effacing and thoughtful character off the field and channels his temper in more productive fashion.

He was part of the England side that reached the 2013 Champions Trophy final but his white-ball career ended two years later after the World Cup omnishambles. Although Anderson never actually retired, he was deemed surplus to requirements even if no other Englishman can better his 269 ODI wickets.

The decision elongated Anderson’s red-ball career. He went on to top the Test bowling rankings on a couple of occasions, breaching the 900-point barrier a few days after he passed 100 wickets at Lord’s in August 2018 – the first paceman to take a century at a single venue. A month later he surpassed Glenn McGrath’s 563 wickets to become Test cricket’s most successful fast bowler.

A chronic shoulder injury, which was a factor in great rival Dale Steyn’s retirement, has impacted his daily routine to such an extent that even just brushing his teeth can prove a burden.

Recurring calf complaints meant he missed almost all of the 2019 Ashes while a broken rib sidelined him after a stellar showing at Cape Town that winter but Anderson remained unbowed through it all.

Being left out of England’s post-Ashes tour of the West Indies in 2022 brought fresh speculation Anderson might finally call it quits but he predictably came back with a vengeance and seems rejuvenated under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum.

Despite the combination of a poor 2023 Ashes and Broad heading for the hills, Anderson keeps going and has finally joined the 700 club. Warne may now be in his sights – after that, who knows?

James Anderson has become the first fast bowler to reach 700 Test wickets.

The 41-year-old England seamer joins former Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan and the late Australia leg-break bowler Shane Warne to get to the milestone in his 187th Test.

Anderson moved to 699 on day two of the fifth Test against India in Dharamsala by bowling Shubman Gill through the gate and got to 700 on the third morning by removing lower-order batter Kuldeep Yadav.

With just his 10th delivery of the day, Anderson, who began his record-breaking Test career in May 2003, hung one outside off stump and Kuldeep obliged with the edge on the way through to Ben Foakes.

Anderson was mobbed by his team-mates before sheepishly raising the ball to the crowd in a typically understated celebration after ending a 49-run stand, with Kuldeep on his way for 30.

Shoaib Bashir struck to remove Jasprit Bumrah three balls later as India were all out for 477 and an ominous lead of 259, with England’s young off-spinner finishing with figures of five for 173.

Anderson began to lead England off the field but motioned for Bashir to go ahead of him after the 20-year-old’s second five-wicket haul in just his third Test.

But Bashir, who was not even born when Anderson started playing for England, smiled and edged towards Anderson as they walked off the field at the HPCA Stadium together.

Ben Stokes bagging a wicket with his first ball in 251 days was described as “magical” by England assistant Jeetan Patel on an otherwise difficult day in Dharamsala.

England appeared bereft after a wicketless first session on day two of the fifth Test as hundreds from Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) carried India into a position of outright dominance.

Stokes had one trump card left and used it in the second over after lunch, bowling competitively for the first time since July 1 last year and producing a beauty which thudded into Rohit’s off stump.

India closed on 473 for eight and a lead of 255 after England fought back in the final session, while Stokes’ instant impact and his five-over spell which yielded one for 17 augurs well for the future.

“He’s a freak,” said Patel. “It was almost written in the stars that he was going to bowl a jaffa first up. It’s magical, isn’t it? It’s so nice to see him back.

“He came on to bowl when the English crowds are waking up; they’re flicking on the TV and the first thing they see is Ben Stokes bowling a really good delivery to Rohit Sharma.”

Stokes has been a specialist batter for the last eight months and had surgery in November to remove a bone spur and reinforce his meniscus with stitches to try to resolve a longstanding left knee issue.

Stokes had made a “pinky promise” with England’s physiotherapist Ben Davies not to bowl on this tour but he has progressed well enough in his recovery and been operating at full tilt in practice recently.

Having teased the possibility of resuming his all-rounder status in recent weeks, the England captain broke his vow to Davies and showed he was worth the wait but barely acknowledged his breakthrough.

“We all know how we can round our attack out, especially in conditions like these where you’ve usually got two spinners, two seamers and then you want your third in Stokesy,” said Patel.

“It was nice to see him back at the crease but we’ve just got to be careful we don’t push him too far, it’s still early days. It’s exciting to see him support the bowlers on a day where it’s a hard slog.”

England’s hopes of a consolation win to end the series with a 3-2 loss steadily slipped away on Friday, with the efforts of Rohit and Gill added to by debutant Devdutt Padikkal (65) and Sarfaraz Khan (56).

All of India’s top five made fifty-plus scores but they lurched from 376 for three to 428 for eight as Shoaib Bashir and Tom Hartley made inroads, plugging away despite toiling for much of the day.

Off-spinner Bashir was tireless and claimed 44-5-170-4, while slow left-armer Hartley was similarly resolute and snared Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin in the same over in his 39-3-126-2.

The pair’s prospects of game time for their counties this summer are uncertain, with Bashir behind Jack Leach in the Somerset pecking order, while Hartley’s Lancashire have signed Nathan Lyon.

“My work continues when they are not with England,” said former New Zealand off-spinner Patel. “I am not the sort of bloke who is going to leave them in the lurch.

“It’s probably too far away to talk about it. But it would be nice to see these guys get more opportunities to bowl, get more overs in them, because they obviously have something to offer.”