In Anderson's defence, his bowling looks lively at times, particularly in abbreviated formats; and there is no doubt he is worth persevering with. He didn't bowl during Northern Districts' outright win over Central Districts at Seddon Park last week, preferring to consult Vettori for advice in a stacked slip cordon.
Munro's ambitions for the same test spot cannot be discounted. He might not appear to have the bowling venom of Anderson but his first-class average is more useful (28 wickets at 32 versus Anderson's 25 wickets at 40.64). Similarly Munro has four first-class hundreds at 47.45 with the bat; Anderson has three first-class hundreds at 37.36.
Munro had the misfortune to debut against a South African attack featuring Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel at Port Elizabeth in January.
The upshot is Anderson must seize the chance he will presumably be given across the three West Indies tests. It's a prime opportunity for him and his team-mates to try to resurrect their fortunes after failing to pin Bangladesh.
Grant Bradburn became Anderson's coach when the all-rounder left Canterbury to join Northern Districts at the start of 2011-12; he also mentored him on the subcontinent this season when he made a century against India A.
"Corey has developed hugely over last couple of years," Bradburn says. "He has matured physically to be fitter, stronger and more resilient which is mandatory given the pressure he puts on his body. He is an explosive cricketer but has learned to trust that his body will be up to the rigours of the sport.
"I see him as a batting all-rounder who is good enough to be in the top six in any format. As a bowler, he is certainly not a part-timer. He has pace and the ability to swing the ball or hit the wicket hard. As a fielder, he's dynamic in the inner ring with a bullet arm.
"Corey's always had the skills and at ND, we respected his decision to make the break from Canterbury and his family. It took courage for a young fella to do that because he wasn't under contract. He knew he needed to perform quickly in a professional environment."
Bradburn remembers a key moment when Anderson's mental maturity shone as part of his adjustment to the top level: "He scored a beautiful hundred in India [on the development tour under Bradburn] where he found a consistent tempo and stayed with it, rather than trying to bully the attack.
"The calmness he exuded was a credit to him because he had a habit of going well then losing control and getting out too early. Over the years he's come to respect conditions and bowlers more where he works on them over longer periods."
Jacob Oram played his last test in a similar role during 2009. His biggest concern is ensuring Anderson avoids the same injury issues he suffered over a stop-start career.
"I have empathy with him trying to come back and stay on the park for sustained periods. As an all-rounder, you're susceptible to more injuries because there is less down time between batting and bowling. It's about trying to work out a balance so his body has a chance to rest.
"I know there's criticism about where this team is at but I think there's an excellent group of all-rounders coming through with Corey [Anderson], Jimmy [Neesham], Colin [Munro] and even Andrew Ellis, even though he's a bit older. They have each got a bit of first-class cricket behind them."
