Renowned cricketer Sachin Tendulkar expressed immense joy following James Anderson's historic achievement of becoming the first pace bowler to claim 700 wickets in Test cricket, hailing it as an outstanding feat.
During the third day of the fifth Test match against India at HPCA, James Anderson etched his name in cricketing history by becoming the inaugural pace bowler to reach the remarkable milestone of 700 Test wickets. This places him in the elite company of Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and leg-spinner Shane Warne (708), who are the only other players to achieve such a remarkable feat in the longest format of the game.
Anderson achieved this milestone by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav on the third day of the fifth Test match against India. Employing an off-cutter from around the wicket, he enticed Kuldeep into a drive, resulting in an outside edge that was safely pouched by wicketkeeper Ben Foakes.
Sachin Tendulkar showered Anderson with praise, describing his achievement as truly magnificent. Tendulkar reminisced about first witnessing Anderson's skills during a match in Australia back in 2002, where his exceptional control over the ball left a lasting impression. He mentioned how former cricketer Nasser Hussain had spoken highly of Anderson's abilities even then, indicating the foresight in recognizing his talent. Tendulkar expressed that Anderson reaching the milestone of 700 Test wickets seemed like a mere fantasy until it became a reality.
Notably, while both Warne and Muralitharan achieved the 700-wicket milestone before turning 40, Anderson, at 41 years old, becomes the oldest bowler to join the prestigious 700-wicket club, further emphasizing the extraordinary nature of his accomplishment.
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