With Stuart Broad retiring, Jimmy Anderson's experience will be required in India: Nasser Hussain

James Anderson, the highest wicket-taking quick in Test cricket with 690 scalps to his credit, would be more than keen to tour India for the series, scheduled to commence in January next year after an ordinary bowling effort during the recently concluded Ashes.

London (United Kingdom): Former England captain Nasser Hussain expects ace pacer James alias Jimmy Anderson to tour India for the five-match Test series early next year, saying that with seamer Stuart Broad and all-rounder Moeen Ali retiring, the experience of the 41-year-old will come in handy in sub-continental conditions.

Anderson, the highest wicket-taking quick in Test cricket with 690 scalps to his credit, would be more than keen to tour India for the series, scheduled to commence in January next year after an ordinary bowling effort during the recently concluded Ashes.

"Jimmy's (Anderson) got a very good record against India. And you need a balanced attack. You need that experience for younger players to come in," Hussain, a famed commentator said on The ICC Review on Thursday. Anderson has a good record against India, with six of his 32 five-wicket hauls in Tests coming against them.

His average in the Asian country (29.32) is decent in comparison to other places he has played in. "Listen, Jimmy's had a bad or an average couple of months, but you are a fool if you're writing off Jimmy Anderson. I spoke to him in an interview and he was like, the hunger is still there. He's already thinking about how to get back to his best," added Hussain.

According to Hussain, who led England in the past, with the Ashes now history, Anderson was looking ahead to newer challenges and aiming to hit the nets soon. "He's already thinking about going back in the nets and working hard at his game and that's a good sign for me that he's still got that hunger. He's, what, 10 wickets away from 700 (Test wickets), and that will keep him going for a while yet."

England has been hit by a spate of retirements, notably by all-rounder Moeen Ali and pacer Stuart Broad, who had a fairy-tale ending to his Test career. But Hussain felt that while the absence of the two stalwarts will be felt, the team has depth in their bowling ranks to perform well in India.

"I think especially with Broad going, I would like that experience (of Anderson in India). Chris Woakes has stated that he's not that keen anymore of playing away from home and his record's not great away from home. We'll see, he (Woakes) might change his mind. There's been a lot of mind changes recently. But if you don't have Woakes and you don't have Broad, you will need that experience of someone like Jimmy Anderson," said Hussain.

Hussain further said that the India tour will pose the next biggest challenge to "Bazball", a term that has come to be associated with England's aggressive style of play under coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes.

"Spinner Jack Leach will (hopefully) be back and Rehan Ahmed is a very good second spinner, as we saw in Pakistan. Pacer Josh Tongue has bowled really well. Pacer Ollie Robinson is a very skillful bowler. Unfortunately, someone like Olly Stone is injured and Jofra Archer is injured. You need that extra pace as well in India. So England has got...they've got that lad Gus Atkinson at Surrey, who has a lot of good things being said about him. So England have options. It's (India) the next test for Bazball," added the former English skipper.

Hussain indicated he was keen to know how "Bazball" will work against the likes of India's ace spinners like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, and Axar Patel. "It's Bazball against spin. Bazball against Ravi Ashwin, Jadeja, and Axar Patel and that is going to be fascinating," he signed off. (With agency inputs)