Anderson’s bowling pack can keep England on top of world

It is the biggest reason they are top of the pile following their 4-0 thrashing of abject India.

The old saying goes that bowlers win matches and that has been proved in recent weeks.

Whereas India’s attack has been tame and toothless, England’s has been sharp and strikingly successful.

Although batting, fielding, wicketkeeping and captaincy are vital ingredients of all the best teams, the most significant factor is potent bowling.

England possess such firepower in abundance – indeed, arguably to an extent they have not enjoyed since the 1950s. Then, Len Hutton and Peter May could call on bowlers of the class of Fred Trueman, Brian Statham, Frank Tyson and Alec Bedser.

The supporting cast was not bad either, with the likes of Peter Loader, Trevor Bailey, Alan Moss, Len Coldwell, Derek Shackleton, David Larter, Fred Rumsey, Harold Rhodes, Les Jackson, Jack Flavell and John Price emphasising the strength in depth.

Although the current England team do not quite have those level of reserves, the power of their attack is plain to see.

Stuart Broad (25 wickets at 13.84), James Anderson (21 at 25.71) and Tim Bresnan (16 at 16.31) all enjoyed impressive series against India, so much so that the relative ineffectiveness of Graeme Swann (13 at 40.69) was barely noticed.

England’s seam bowling strength was highlighted by the way Bresnan effortlessly filled the gap left by Chris Tremlett, who missed three of the four Tests with a back injury.

Beyond that frontline quintet, the likes of Steven Finn, Graham Onions, Ajmal Shahzad, Chris Woakes and Jade Dernbach are all chomping at the bit, with England boasting plenty of options in the pace division.

The only question mark relates to the spin department.

Although Swann is the world’s best spinner by a country mile, there is not much beyond that if he gets injured.

Monty Panesar is the current No 2, but the Sussex left-armer would appear to have lost a deal of his mojo.

Yorkshire’s Adil Rashid has had a difficult summer to the extent he has been leapfrogged by Durham’s Scott Borthwick, but England’s bowling is generally excellent.

Anderson is the leader of the pace attack and underrated in the pantheon of England’s best bowlers.

The Lancashire man has taken 240 wickets in 63 Tests at 30.57 – statistics made more impressive when one considers how erratic he was at the start of his career.

Now 29 and at the peak of his powers, Anderson is very much the complete performer.

He can swing the ball both ways late and at pace, a skill not many possess in this day and age.

Broad may not quite be England’s so-called ‘enforcer’, but he is much improved from earlier in the summer.

The Nottinghamshire player scarcely looked capable of buying a wicket in the Test series against Sri Lanka but tightened his lines against the Indians, in addition to playing a couple of fine innings.

Tremlett’s qualities were evident in Australia, while Bresnan has developed into a high-class competitor. The Yorkshireman is one of those who seems to raise his game at the highest level and has made a mockery of those who had him down as a work-a-day seamer.

Of course, greater challenges lie in store for England and their bowlers.

South Africa are in town next summer and, in an undistinguished era for bowling in general, they possess the world’s best new-ball attack in Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel.

But whereas South Africa do not have a convincing third seamer, let alone a fourth or fifth, England have those reserves of strength.

It is why they have the capacity to stay top of the tree for a good while yet.