James Anderson struck twice as England made damage to leave West Indies on 35 for two on a rain-affected first morning of the series-deciding third test at Lord’s on Thursday.

He is just few wicket away from being taking 500 test wickets and the overcast conditions in West Indies helped him to achieve this feat. After winning the toss, the Indies skipper Jason Holder chose to bat ignoring the weather conditions that actually could have helped the islanders.

Anderson started the match with 497 wickets and could have got his first wicket in the third over itself as  Kraigg Brathwaite edged the ball and Allistair Cook missed the catch in the slip.

Brathwaite who scored 229 runs in two superb innings as West Indies claimed a five-wicket victory at Headingley, was not so lucky the next time he edged Anderson as wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow took the catch to dismiss him.

Kieran Powell was joined at the crease by Kyle Hope before the game was interrupted for forty minutes due to rain.  But after the game resumed Anderson struck again and this time the Indies were 22 for two. Hope who had played incredibly in the first test stands eight not out.

James Anderson is on his way to join Sri Lanka’s off spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Australian leg spinner Shane Warne (708), Indian leg spinner Anil Kumble (619), Australian paceman Glenn McGrath (563) and West Indies quickie Courtney Walsh (519) on the list of bowlers with 500 test wickets.

The West Indies team is unchanged but England brought in fast bowler Toby Roland-Jones in place of Chris Woakes. We will have to wait to watch if Anderson reaches that feat as soon as possible.