James Anderson becomes first-ever pacer with 700 Test wickets: Stats
England legend James Anderson has become the first-ever fast bowler to take 700 wickets in Test cricket. The veteran pacer reached the landmark in the 5th Test against India in Dharamsala. He required two wickets for the same before the Test. Anderson is only the third bowler to enter the 700-wicket club in Tests. He completed 600 Test wickets in 2020.
Anderson claims two wickets
Anderson opened his account in the game by dismissing centurion Shubman Gill (110) on Day 2. It was a lovely inswinger that castled Gill's stumps. He reached the 700-wicket milestone with the wicket of Kuldeep Yadav (30) on Day 3 morning. The latter edged the out-swinging delivery to wicket-keeper Ben Foakes. Anderson finished with 2/60 in 16 overs.
Anderson joins these legends
Anderson joined the likes of Sri Lanka's Muthiah Muralidaran (800) and Australia's Shane Warne (708) in the 700-wicket club. Notably, he reached the historic landmark in his 187th Test, the slowest among these bowlers in terms of matches played. Muralitharan was the fastest (113 Tests) to get to the mark. Anderson has now raced to 700 scalps at 26.53. (5W: 32, 10WM: 3).
Anderson miles ahead of other pacers
It is worth noting that Anderson's compatriot Stuart Broad is the only other pacer with over 600 Test wickets. Broad retired last year with 604 scalps. Australian legend Glenn McGrath is next on the list, having taken 563 wickets.
Most Test wickets after turning 30
Anderson is the only bowler to have taken over 400 wickets in Test cricket since turning 30 (432 at 24.13). Sri Lanka's Rangana Herath follows Anderson (398 wickets). Interestingly, only 16 other players own 400 or more Test wickets in the entirety of their careers.
Anderson's milestone scalp in Test cricket
Here are Anderson's Test victims - 100th wicket: Jacques Kallis, 200th wicket: Peter Siddle, 300th wicket: Peter Fulton, 400th wicket: Martin Guptill, 500th wicket: Kraigg Brathwaite, 600th wicket: Azhar Ali, and 700th wicket: Kuldeep Yadav. Notably, Anderson took his 600th Test wicket in 2020 during the third Test against Pakistan at the Ageas Bowl. He also took a fifer in that match.
32 fifers in Test cricket
Anderson has the sixth-most five-wicket hauls in the history of red-ball cricket (32). Only Muralidaran (67), Warne (37), Sir Richard Hadlee (36), Anil Kumble (35), R Ashwin (35), and Herath (34) have clipped more five-fers than Anderson in this format. Meanwhile, his tally of 149 Test scalps against India is the most for any bowler. He averages 25.47 against the opposition (5W: 6).
How has the match proceeded?
Batting first, England started well and were going along fine at 175/3 before India triggered a collapse (218/10). Kuldeep and Ravichandran Ashwin shared nine scalps. Zak Crawley made 79. In reply, India posted 477 thanks to centuries from Gill (110) and Rohit Sharma (103). Shoaib Bashir claimed five wickets. India earned a hefty first-innings lead of 259 runs.
