Anderson Becomes 3rd Bowler In Test History To Bag 700 Wickets; Who Are The Others?

Dharamsala: England pacer Jimmy Anderson on Saturday climbed a peak no other fast bowler has ever reached in 147 years of Test cricket.

Still fit as a fiddle and hungry for wickets at the age of 41, Anderson became only the third bowler in the history of Test match cricket to claim 700 victims.

Anderson’s moment of glory came on the third morning of fifth and final Test match when the crafty seamer, playing his 187th Test, induced an outside edge off a stubborn Kuldeep Yadav’s bat to have him caught behind by Ben Foakes.

Anderson thus joined two champion spinners – Sri Lankan off-spinner Muthiah Muralidharan (800) and late Australian leggie Shane Warne (708) – in the elite 700-wicket club.

India’s top Test wicket-taker is leg-spinner Anil Kumble, with a tally of 619.

TOP WICKET TAKERS IN TEST CRICKET

Muthiah Muralidharan (Sri Lanka/ICC, 1992-2010) – 800 wickets in 133 Tests @22.72

Shane Warne (Australia, 1992-2007) – 708 wickets in 145 Tests @25.41

James Anderson (England, 2003-2024) – 700 wickets in 187 Tests @26.52.

Anil Kumble (India, 1990-2008) – 619 in 132 Tests @29.65

Stuart Broad (England, 2007-2023) — 604 wickets in 167 Tests @27.68.