Anderson joins spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble in 600-wicket club after dismissing Pakistan's Azhar Ali
Wednesday 26 August 2020 08:56, UK
England's James Anderson has made history by becoming the first fast bowler to take 600 wickets in Test match cricket.
The 38-year-old dismissed Pakistan captain Azhar Ali on day five of the drawn third #raisethebat Test at The Ageas Bowl to join a club previously occupied by only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan (800 Test wickets), Shane Warne (708) and Anil Kumble (619).
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Anderson reached the milestone in his 156th Test match, over 17 years after he took his first wicket by bowling Zimbabwe batsman Mark Vermeulen on his Test debut at Lord's in May 2003.
Anderson was made to wait for his 600 milestone moment, with four catches dropped off his bowling in a rain-affected Test, before he finally made history with the wicket of Azhar on day five - getting the ball to rear up off a length and take the edge through to Joe Root at slip.
Anderson had already become the most prolific seam bowler in Test cricket in September 2018, against India at The Kia Oval, when he picked up a 564th Test wicket to move past Glenn McGrath's tally of 563.
The paceman was the first English bowler to 500 Test wickets a year earlier when he bowled West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite - who also became Stuart Broad's 500th Test wicket earlier this summer.
Anderson has taken 29 Test five-wicket hauls for England, including in the first innings of the current Test against Pakistan, and 10 wickets in a match on three occasions - twice at Trent Bridge and once at Headingley.
The Lancashire seamer overtook Sir Ian Botham as England's leading Test wicket-taker against West indies in the Caribbean in 2015, when Denesh Ramdin edged to slip in Antigua to become his 384th victim.
