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 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 186th Test, the slowest among these bowlers in terms of matches played. Muralitharan was the fastest (113 Tests) to get to the mark.
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. 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.
Second pacer with over 30 Test fifers
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. Notably, Anderson is only the second pacer after Hadlee to have affected over 30 fifers in an innings.