The Ashes: James Anderson breaks this record of Muttiah Muralitharan
England pacer James Anderson added another feather to his cap on May 28. By taking his 118th wicket at Lord's, he broke Sri Lankan legend Muttiah Muralitharan's record of taking the second-most Test wickets on a single ground. Anderson achieved this feat by dismissing Australian pacer Mitchell Starc on Day 2 of the 2nd Ashes 2023 Test at London's iconic venue.
Why does this story matter?
The Lord's Cricket Ground in London is known as the Mecca of Cricket. Also referred to as the Home of Cricket, Lord's has produced several classics across formats over the years. Anderson is the leading wicket-taker on this ground. In fact, he is one of only two players with over 100 wickets in Test cricket at Lord's. And now, he has broken another record.
Anderson surpasses Muralitharan
Over a decade after retiring, veteran spinner Muralitharan remains the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket. His record of taking 800 Test wickets is unlikely to be broken in the near future. As many as 166 of Muralitharan's Test wickets came in Colombo, while he took 117 in Kandy. Anderson has displaced Murali in the second spot after taking his 118th wicket at Lord's.
Most international wickets at Lord's
Anderson is the highest wicket-taker in international cricket at Lord's. He has 19 wickets in ODIs (second-most) and three in T20Is on this ground. His compatriot Stuart Broad is the only other bowler with over 100 international wickets at Lord's.
700 Test wickets loading for Anderson
Before this Test, Anderson had 686 wickets in 180 Tests at an average of 26.11. He is the third-highest wicket-taker in the longest format of the game. He may become the third bowler to complete 700 wickets in the ongoing Ashes series. Only Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708) are ahead of him in the wickets tally. Anderson owns 32 fifers (10WM: 3).
