England great James Anderson becomes first pacer to pick 700 Test wickets
India vs England 5th Test: Veteran England pacer James Anderson became the first ever pacer to pick 700 Test wickets. Anderson achieved his feat after he dismissed Kuldeep Yadav on Saturday morning in Dharamsala.
In Short
- James Anderson completes his 700 Test wickets in the Dharamsala Test vs India
- Anderson becomes the first fast-bowler to achieve this feat
- Anderson becomes the third overall bowler to achieve this feat
James Anderson achieved a piece of cricketing history on Saturday, March 9 as he became the first-ever fast bowler to pick up 700 Test wickets. The 41-year-old got to the major landmark when he dismissed Kuldeep Yadav on Day 3 of the fifth and final Test against hosts India at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.
It was only fitting that Anderson achieved the Himalayan feat with the mountains in the backdrop at the scenic venue. The legendary fast bowler became only the third man after Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and leg-spinner Shane Warne (708) to achieve the feat.
Anderson's longevity is a thing of marvel in international cricket as the fast bowler made his debut in 2003 and continues to be one of the leading bowlers in the Test format of the game. Anderson has not played white-ball cricket for England since 2015, but he has been one of the finest exponents of fast-bowling in the red-ball format. | Dharamsala Test, India vs England: Scorecard |
Anderson's early strike helped England wrap the Indian innings early on Saturday morning. Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir got the final wicket, getting Jasprit Bumrah out stumped. India were bundled out for 477 with the hosts securing a healthy 259-run lead.
THE 700-PLUS CLUB
James Anderson - March 2023 at 41
Shane Warne - December 2006 at 37
Muttiah Muralitharan - July 2007 at 35
Anderson has 96 wickets more than his nearest pace-bowling rival Stuart Broad, who retired from Test cricket after the Ashes last year. Anderson has also become the first fast bowler to reach the 600 and 700-wicket milestones after former West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh got to 500 first.
The second session of Day 2 of the Dharamsala Test brought promise for the Three Lions, who had a dismal run on Day 1. It was England skipper Ben Stokes who caused a loud buzz after dismissing Rohit Sharma for 103 off 162 balls on his first ball of the series, breaking a formidable 175-run partnership between Rohit and Shubman Gill. Anderson followed his skipper's lead and went on to grab the wicket of the other set batter, Gill, on 110 off 150 balls.
The feat secures Anderson's place in the history books of cricket, as he grabs his 700th Test wicket in just 186 matches. The player has repaid the backing and faith of his skipper Stokes, being one of the few experienced bowlers in the current England squad facing India. With the visitors' dismal performance in their innings with the bat, hopes now rest on their bowling lineup to propel their side back into contention for a consolation win in the series and to secure crucial WTC points.
Despite his 700th, the India series has not been the best of times for the veteran pacer, similar to what has been for his side. Anderson has only managed 10 wickets across four Tests in the series, with none of those spells turning out to be match-winning for England.