James Anderson: England bowler produces one of the great overs against India in Chennai

Anderson’s first over was a double-wicket maiden

When England cricket fans woke on Tuesday morning, many of them will have been rueing the fact they didn’t set their alarm for the start of play at 4am.

If they had, they would have seen arguably one of the greatest overs in modern-day Test cricket.

India were going well: chasing a world record 420 to win the first Test in Chennai, they looked in control.

Shubman Gill raced to 50 not out in eye-catching style while captain Virat Kohli, looking majestic while batting in a cap, was putting the pressure back on the England bowlers.

But cometh the hour, cometh the man: enter James Anderson, the world’s most successful fast bowler in Test cricket.

The 38-year-old produced a stunning display of reverse swing.

He bowled Gill with his second ball – sending the off stump flying into the Chennai dirt with a perfect inswinger.

His fourth ball was a repeat and new batsman Ajinkya Rahane narrowly survived an lbw appeal.

A ball later, Anderson took the umpire out of the equation by bowling the India vice-captain with another inswinger.

“They were excellent tactics to hold Anderson back until the ball was likely to reverse swing, and he produced two absolutely perfect deliveries,” said BBC cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew. “It was incredible skill.”

With India reaching lunch on 144-6, England’s greatest bowler looks to have played the decisive hand.

How one of the great overs unfolded

One for the ages – what you said Anderson’s over rivalled one bowled by Andrew Flintoff at Edgbaston in 2005 against Australia as the greatest in recent memory

‘The GOAT’ – how the cricket world reacted