England fast bowler James Anderson became the first pacer in the history of Test cricket to take 600 wickets, in the third Test against Pakistan on Tuesday.
Anderson is overall the fourth bowler to take 600 or more Test wickets, behind spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Shane Warne (708) and Anil Kumble (619).
The 38-year-old achieved the feat on the fifth and final day of the third Test against Pakistan at Southampton, dismissing the visiting captain Azhar Ali for 31. The Test ended in a draw, with Pakistan managing to reach 187/4 in their second innings, following on after being bowled out for 273 in their first innings. England had declared their first innings for 583/8.
The hosts, thus, won the three-match series 1-0, having won the first Test in Manchester by three wickets. The rain-interrupted second Test at Southampton had ended in a draw.
Anderson, who is playing in his 156th test, was lauded by Kumble on Twitter soon after his monumental feat. "Massive effort from a great fast bowler," the former India legspinner tweeted. "Welcome to the club."
Anderson is the second quickest to get to 600 wickets, taking six balls more than Muralitharan, but it could have come much sooner. Four catches off his bowling were dropped in 37 balls either side of Pakistan's overnight change of innings between Days 3 and 4 of the final Test of the series.
He took his 599th wicket - that of Abid Ali - near the end of Monday's play, before bad light stopped play.
The first two sessions of Tuesday were washed out, raising doubts about whether Anderson would miss his chance. However, play started late in the afternoon and Anderson took the wicket of Azhar Ali off his 14th delivery.
On Sunday, he took his 29th five-wicket haul of a Test career that began in 2003. His average is 26.82.
Not playing white-ball cricket since 2015 has allowed him to focus his energy and fitness toward the longer format. The extended break to the cricket season because of the pandemic gave Anderson more time to rest his aging body after an injury-plagued period that restricted him to just 74 overs of bowling from the opening Ashes Test in August last year until this summer.
Anderson and his balling partner Stuart Broad have taken 894 wickets in 117 Tests they have featured together for England since 2008. In fact, Broad reached the 500-wicket milestone last month. Interestingly, Broad's 500th Test wicket was Kraigg Brathwaite—the same batsman who Anderson dismissed at Lord's three years ago for his 500th Test victim.
Just this month, Anderson said he has no plans to retire and has his sights set on an Ashes series Down Under next year.
(With PTI inputs)
