James Anderson created history on the final day of the third and final Test between England and Pakistan at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Anderson got the big wicket of Azhar Ali, the Pakistan skipper and he became the first fast bowler in Test history to take 600 wickets. He is the fourth overall to go past the landmark, behind Anil Kumble, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. Here is a look at the 17-year journey of Anderson who has become one of the greatest bowlers ever for England.
James Anderson created history on the final day of the third and final Test between England and Pakistan at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. Anderson got the big wicket of Azhar Ali, the Pakistan skipper and he became the first fast bowler in Test history to take 600 wickets. He is the fourth overall to go past the landmark, behind Anil Kumble, Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan. Here is a look at the 17-year journey of Anderson who has become one of the greatest bowlers ever for England. From his first wicket being Mark Vermeulen of Zimbabwe to Azhar Ali, here is a compilation of his significant milestones.
1. James Anderson 600
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James Anderson's journey to become one of the greatest fast bowlers in history began in 2003 during the Lord's Test against Zimbabwe. Blessed with pace and an ability to swing the ball prodigiously, it was not long before Anderson made a mark in Tests. With just his 18th ball in Test cricket, Anderson got rid of Mark Vermeulen and he went on to carve a special place. He picked up 5/73 on debut and this heralded the arrival of a new star in English cricket. The performance in 2003 cemented a 17-year association of brilliance with England. (Image credit: Twitter)
2. James Anderson 600
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After his magnificent performance against Zimbabwe, Anderson found himself in the wilderness after a mauling in the 2006/07 Ashes contest. In addition, there were some fitness issues which plagued the youngster. After being out of the squad for close to a couple of years, Anderson came back in style against South Africa in the 2008 season. The 2007/08 season defined Anderson and it made him the ace bowler that he is today. James Anderson got to his 100th Test wicket by getting rid of Jacques Kallis, the greatest all-rounder in the world during the 2008 Oval Test. In total, he would get rid of Kallis seven times in his career, the most by any pacer. (Image credit: Twitter)
3. James Anderson 600
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After getting to his 100th wicket, Anderson became the main strike bowler for England in Tests. At home, he was simply deadly. His accuracy and swing in helpful home conditions made him lethal. He steadily climbed up the charts, taking his 200th wicket during the Ashes contest in 2010/11 in Perth while he also zoomed past 300 during the Lord's Test against New Zealand. In 2015, there was more glory as he dismissed Denesh Ramdin in the Antigua Test which was his 384th wicket. The wicket made him the leading wicket-taker for England in Tests, surpassing Sir Ian Botham's tally of 383. The show was just beginning for Anderson. (Image credit: Twitter)
4. James Anderson 600
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James Anderson followed it up by reaching the magical figure of 400 during the second Test between England and New Zealand in Leeds in 2015. The victim was Martin Guptill and Anderson gave English cricket plenty of cheers when he reached the landmark. At this point in time, there was criticism that Anderson was performing well only at home while in conditions that did not suit him, he underperformed. However, Anderson brushed aside all criticism and became an all-weather bowler. His close competition at that point in time was South Africa pacer Dale Steyn, who was decimating batting line-ups all over the world. (Image credit: Twitter)
5. James Anderson 600
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Lord's had occupied a very special place for Anderson. He has over 100 wickets at the venue. His first Test wicket was at the Mecca of cricket. His 300th wicket also came at the venue against New Zealand. Thus, it was fitting that the next milestone would arrive at Lord's. During the 2017 Test against West Indies, Anderson dismissed Kraigg Brathwaite to make him the first England pacer to reach the landmark of 500 wickets. It was truly a spectacular occasion as he ended with 7/42, his best Test figures. (Image credit: Twitter)
6. James Anderson 600
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After missing the 2019 Ashes due to an injury, it seemed the next milestone would elude Anderson. In 2018, he had broken Glenn McGrath's record of the most wickets by a pace bowler in Tests when he dismissed Mohammed Shami in the Oval Test to reach 564 Test wickets. However, Anderson showed his masterclass during the third and final Test against Pakistan in Southampton. After becoming the oldest bowler since Sir Richard Hadlee to take a five-wicket haul, Anderson overcame the conditions and became the first bowler to reach 600 wickets when he dismissed Azhar Ali. It was indeed a proud moment for Anderson in his 17-year career. (Image credit: Twitter)
Incredible 600 by @jimmy9 . What an amazing achievement. Playing 156 Test Matches for a medium fast bowler is no less achievement. Cheers mate. #JamesAnderson #600TestWickets #England pic.twitter.com/dVFMqPvuwA
— Shoaib Akhtar (@shoaib100mph) August 25, 2020
What a bowler. What a career. James Anderson becomes the first pace bowler to 600 Test wickets #Cricket pic.twitter.com/dzn1e3oiPj
— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) August 25, 2020
