James Anderson's Best Test Performances outside England by country

5-73, 2-57 and 12* vs New Zealand at Wellington, March 2008

Old mate Alastair Cook hugs Anderson - New Zealand v England: Day 5 at Wellington on 17 March 2008.

England was going through a transition and was not finding it easy after a home series defeat to India, followed by a series defeat in Sri Lanka. After losing the ODI series, England lost the first match of the three-match Test series in New Zealand as well. Asked to bat by the home team in the second Test, England managed a decent first innings total of 342.

New Zealand suffered a setback in their first innings, losing both their openers with the team total at just nine runs - both wickets going to Anderson. Anderson kept taking wickets at regular intervals and took the wickets of all of New Zealand's top five. The home team were bowled out for 198, giving the visitors a healthy 144-run lead. All of England's top six scored double figures in the second innings, and an unbeaten 11-ball 12 from Anderson helped them set the home team an improbable target of 438 runs.

Though New Zealand again lost wickets at regular intervals, a healthy 81-run partnership between Matthew Sinclair and Ross Taylor was putting the Kiwis back on track. Jimmy broke through, getting the wicket of Sinclair and Sidebottom took Taylor's wicket not much later. On the fifth morning, Anderson broke another 41-run partnership for the ninth wicket between Brendon McCullum and Mark Gillespie, getting the latter. McCullum's wicket was taken at the other end by Monty Panesar, and England won the match by 126 runs.

England carried the winning momentum into the third and deciding Test and won the match by a similar margin - marking an amazing comeback to win a Test series in New Zealand after 11 years.