James Anderson Reached the Milestone of 700 Test Wickets

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On Saturday, March 9, James Anderson made cricket history by becoming the first-ever fast bowler to reach 700 Test wickets. At the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, on Day 3 of the fifth and final Test match against the hosts, India, the 41-year-old achieved a significant milestone when he removed Kuldeep Yadav.

Given the beautiful setting and the mountains in the background, it seemed right that Anderson accomplished the Himalayan feat. After leg-spinner Shane Warne (708) and fast bowler Muttiah Muralitharan (800) of Sri Lanka, the renowned player became just the third person to accomplish the feat.

In international cricket, Anderson’s career is remarkable. The fast bowler made his debut in 2003 and is still regarded as one of the best bowlers in the game’s Test format. Although Anderson hasn’t played white-ball cricket for England since 2015, he is one of the best fast-bowling players in red-ball cricket.

The first time I saw Anderson play was in Australia in 2002, and his control over the ball looked special.

Nasser Hussain spoke very highly of him back then and today, I am sure, he would say, “Maine bola tha” — that he had called it so early. 😀

700 test wickets is a stellar… pic.twitter.com/GijfRXYvoY
— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) March 9, 2024

England, who had a terrible performance on Day 1, showed hope in the second session of Day 2 of the Dharamsala Test. Ben Stokes, the captain of England, created a lot of excitement when he dismissed Rohit Sharma for 103 off 162 balls on his opening delivery of the series, ending the strong 175-run stand between Rohit and Shubman Gill. Following his captain’s example, Anderson took out Gill, the other set batsman, for 110 off 150 balls.

At just 186 matches, Anderson’s achievement of taking his 700th Test wicket guarantees his place in cricket history. The player, who is one of the few seasoned bowlers in the current England team against India, has returned the captain Stokes’ support and trust. As a result of the visitors’ dismal batting performance in their innings, all eyes are now on their bowling lineup to help them get back into the running for a series win and vital WTC points.

Like his team, the experienced bowler has not had the greatest of times during the India series, despite reaching his 700th wicket. In the four Test matches of the series, Anderson has only claimed 10 wickets.