James Anderson Bids Emotional Farewell in Dominant England Victory

James Anderson ended his illustrious international career by taking a wicket in his final match against West Indies, leading England to a comprehensive win by an innings and 114 runs. The 41-year-old retires as England's highest wicket-taker and third on the all-time list for test wickets. Debutants Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith also impressed.

England's James Anderson brought down the curtain on his stellar international career by taking a wicket against West Indies on the third day of the first test at Lord's on Friday, helping his side secure a comfortable win by an innings and 114 runs. Anderson, looking uncharacteristically emotional, received a guard of honour and a standing ovation from the crowd in his 188th and final test.

The seamer quickly got to work, dismissing Joshua Da Silva (9) in his second over of the day for his 704th test wicket, ending with match figures of 4-58. Retiring at 41, Anderson holds the record for the most test wickets by an England bowler and any seam bowler, ranking third overall behind Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. In the dressing room, Anderson, clutching a pint of Guinness, admitted to Sky Sports that he tried to hold back tears, calling playing for England 'the best job in the world.'

England captain Ben Stokes hailed the match as a near-perfect start to the summer, highlighting debutants Gus Atkinson and Jamie Smith for their impressive performances. Atkinson, who took a total of 12 wickets, was named Man of the Match. West Indies struggled, with their highest individual score being Gudakesh Motie's 31 not out. The visitors were all out for 136, well short of the 171 runs needed to make England bat again. With two tests remaining, West Indies skipper Kraigg Brathwaite urged his team to stay mentally tough.

(With inputs from agencies.)