What does it mean to take 700 wickets across 20 years of Test cricket? James Anderson knows. And he will almost definitely be the last one to ever know.

The sheer scale of those numbers is difficult for cricket fans born this century to understand. It comes from an era when fax machines were still a thing, social media was not, and T20 cricket was just being conceptualised.

Who plays for 20 years, mainly Test cricket, and as a fast bowler? Why would anyone do that to their body? Anderson did, because he could, and because he was exceptional at it.

He is still going strong at the age of 41. He picked up seven wickets in the first innings for Lancashire in the county match against Notts last week.

But it was possibly because Anderson knows he has to give it his all this week when he plays his final Test – against the West Indies at Lord’s.

It is not easy to call it a day as an international player, especially when you are as exceptional as Anderson. But the call had been made earlier this year when Rob Key, Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes – the main decision makers of the England team – told Anderson that it was time to move on.

So, Anderson’s two-decades long career will come to an end. Maybe he was nudged towards the exit by the end of it, but you can’t expect Jimmy to simply let it go. It was sheer willpower and love for the art that brought him this far.

Anderson started as a genuine quick with a funky hairdo capable of bowling over 90mph consistently. And like almost all fast bowlers do, he got a back injury a few years into his international career.

Back injuries are like a rite of passage for any quality seamer. Anderson then forged his bowling in the fire of that injury setback, tweaking his action and making precise changes that made him the most potent new ball bowler in the world.

How many wickets has Jimmy Anderson taken?

In England, Anderson has 434 wickets from 105 Tests. Perfect seam presentation, one of the greatest wrist positions, and an ideal wobble seam all combined to make him near unplayable.

There simply is no one better than him in English conditions, a fact which some also use to poke at his away record.

However, it is away from home (244 wickets in 76 matches) where Anderson has pulled off the greatest feat by any fast bowler – Test series wins in India and Australia.

The 2009-2012 period was a golden one for England. They won the Ashes series down under, after lifting the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean.

In that Ashes series, Alastair Cook piled on the runs as England out-batted the Aussies. But bowlers win you series. And who was the top wicket taker? Anderson, with 24.

The next season – in 2012 – England achieved the seemingly impossible – a Test series win in India and that too after losing the opening match. India captain MS Dhoni said the difference between both sides in the 2-1 series victory was Anderson. It remains the only Test series defeat for India in over a decade.

Anderson also mastered one aspect of pace bowling which very few expected him to – reverse swing. It turns out his action was perfect for old-ball tricks as well. And he can still crank it up to 140kph, at this age, if needed. Which is probably why he enjoyed respectable returns on Asian pitches – 92 wickets in 32 Tests at an average of 27.

No other pacer in modern history, barring Glenn McGrath and Dale Steyn, has caused so much devastation almost everywhere. And Anderson is still going strong, when people he played with have long retired and will be commentating on his last match.

JAMES ANDERSONS TEST CRICKET MILESTONES: First wicket: Zimbabwes Mark Vermeulen in first Test at Lords, on May 23, 2003. Getty Images

The figure of 700 Test wickets serves as a reminder of an era that is certainly lost. No other active cricketer is anywhere near that figure. The next best are spinners – Australia’s Nathan Lyon (530 wickets) and India’s Ravichandran Ashwin (516).

Fast-bowlers are even further back. Aussie quick Mitchell Starc is on 358 Test scalps but close to the end of his career. Proteas pacer Kagiso Rabada is nearing 300. The all-conquering Jasprit Bumrah is some way away from even 200 Test wickets.

With so much cricket all year around, especially T20 and franchise leagues, bowlers have stopped pushing themselves in red ball cricket. Four and five Test series are few and far between, almost exclusively between England, Australia and India.

Young players are now giving up on domestic contracts to focus on T20 and franchise cricket. Most pacers now train for four-over match spells and not much more. Fewer and fewer kids now practice the front foot defence and are eager to pick up the ramp and switch hit as early as possible.

Test cricket in general is getting pushed to the sidelines as T20 makes greater demands from the calendar. Every cricket board now wants a viable T20 franchise tournament that can sustain everything else. Only those privileged enough can expend time and resources on Test cricket.

So as the world around us changes, Anderson stands as the last colossus from an era where a player was judged by what he could do over five days, not three-and-a-half hours.

Cricket should forever be grateful to Anderson because there will be no one like him again.