156 Test Matches 600 Wickets 26.79 average – these numbers are enough to back the case of James Anderson. Have you thought any fast bowler in the long history of cricket breach the barrier of 600 wickets? There was no one in the history which makes it even more special for a bowler to claim the 600 wickets in the longest format of a game – Test cricket. The only bowler in the England cricket history to touch the figure 600 wickets no bowler in the had been as successful as James Anderson in Test cricket.
The sight and scene are more awe-inspiring when a fast bowler holding the red cherry under his palm and started his run-up before releasing the unplayable delivery to rattle up the stumps of a batsman. I haven't seen the pace attack of the golden generation of west indies side of 1970-80 – arguably the best pace attack in the history or haven't seen the fiery spells of Jeff Thompson and Dennis Lillie to make ball could do everything they wanted it to.
But back in the 90s with the trio of bowling Pakistan team performed like invincible it looked like any of these bowlers could be ended with somewhere around 800 wickets at the end of his career but that doesn't happen. While the era of early 2000s was all about predator Aussies with every record under their feathers as Glenn McGrath ended his career 563 wickets it looked in the era of batting-friendly pitches this record is next to impossible to go cross. As always records are meant to be broken. James Anderson goes cross the Australian legend milestone towards the end of his career.
Test Cricket and Fast Bowling this alignment is not very much popular in an era of T-20 cricket. But when the ball could talk and walk believe me this alignment is a nightmare for even the greatest batsman to survive. The fact this achievement is more special is that James Anderson has bowled in batting-friendly pitches and conditions with smaller boundary ropes and fielding restrictions. When no one in the history like Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thompson, Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Micheal Holding, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose go cross this milestone – it is very clear this guy is very special and could have been a threat from the start of his career.
But James Anderson has the rough start of his career – a career around injuries and some of the toughest decisions but all in all he has turned himself into the frontline pacer for the England team in the last two decades. A smooth textbook bowling action is perfect fits on James Anderson. Making his debut in 2003 at Lord's not having good bowling figures to back his case. But that series against South Africa when England came back and drawn the series with 2-2 in 2003-04. James Anderson was the one big reason for that – statement to the world. What has to come in the coming years.
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Home or Away Where James Anderson is better:
This is the question of everyone that wants to know after achieving that milestone. Subcontinent and Fast bowling this alignment was a blur before the debut of Dale Steyn. But Dale Steyn proved it wrong with bowling skills that the overseas bowler can succeed in the subcontinent pitches with 114 wickets in just 20 at an average of 22.66 test matches Dale Steyn played in Asia.
It means bowlers can succeed in the spinner friendly Asian tracks. But James Anderson has been average on the Asia pitches with 59 wickets in 20 matches at an average of 30 which is higher than career average. James Anderson has been average bowler in the subcontinent pitches. But where draws the greatest fast bowler of this era is the home conditions where he is just impossible to play for too long – especially the first hour of the match. Those seam movements which even make the player like Virat Kohli change his batting stance during the 2014 India tour of England. If you make the greatest batsman in the trouble it means you have exceptional talent – after that tour, it looked like Virat Kohli's career was over after such disaster performance on the tour.
Country | Wickets | Average |
South Africa | 34 | 34.62 |
Australia | 60 | 35.43 |
New Zealand | 26 | 32.81 |
West Indies | 36 | 24.81 |
England | 384 | 23.84 |
Source: Check full career stats
James Anderson has 384 wickets at an average of 23.84 with 22 five wicket-hauls and 3 ten wicket-hauls. These numbers put him very above in the league when it comes to the home condition and your playing against the home crowd and from the team who has inventor of this game. So expectations are high and James Anderson has perfectly lived up to that expectations from the English crowd. Towards the end of this career will be going the touch the milestone of 700 wickets as he said I am confident and looking to touch another milestone before the last ball of my career. James Anderson is the 700 wicket-taker in the history will ever we going to see?
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