"He's such a solid bloke. I'll miss that shoulder to actually cry on. The hole he's leaving is not just at the top of the order. It's the whole package."
Wednesday 12 September 2018 10:56, UK
James Anderson says he was glad Alastair Cook was on the field to witness him becoming the leading seamer in Test cricket.
Anderson bowled Mohammed Shami at The Oval to top Glenn McGrath's tally of 563 Test scalps, the wicket the last to fall as England sealed a 118-run win over India and 4-1 series victory in Cook's 161st and final Test.
"I'm happy Cookie was on the field to see that wicket. He is my best mate and he has been brilliant, there for me all the time," Anderson told Sky Sports.
"He's such a solid bloke. I'll miss that shoulder to actually cry on. The hole he's leaving is not just at the top of the order. It's the whole package.
"What he has brought to the dressing room, the team, what he has done for English cricket as a player and captain is above and beyond. That's why he'll be missed.
"It will be nice to get someone in at first slip who can actually hold on to a few. Who knows how many wickets I could have got if he could catch!?"
On his record-breaking scalp, which came in the 14th over of a previously wicketless spell, Anderson added: "I'm just happy to win the game, to be honest. I wasn't thinking about [the record]."
KL Rahul (149) and Rishabh Pant (114) put on 204 for India's sixth wicket as the tourists reached 325-5 in pursuit of an unlikely 464 before being dismissed for 345.
"It looked like they might get close, so my job was to try and hold an end up. I didn't think I'd bowl 14 overs or whatever it was from that end.
"I got into really good rhythm and thankfully Joe Root let me take the new ball eventually which gave me a half a chance to get that wicket!"
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