The India vs England 5th Test could be named the Milestone Test. Tomorrow (March 7), Ravichandran Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow will play their 100th Test match. James Anderson will aim to become the third bowler to take 700 Test wickets and will join an illustrious list of cricketers to play at 50 different venues.
Playing 100 Test matches is no small feat, but history stands on the line for Anderson. The 41-year-old will become the first pacer to achieve the feat and will be inches away from breaking Shane Warne’s record of 709 wickets. The veteran pacer’s longevity, grit, and determination are what make him stand out.
The story of 700
21 years! That’s how long James Anderson took to reach the milestone of the 700th wicket if he manages to do so in Dharamshala. It was in 2003 when a brown-blond-haired 20-year-old kid from Burnley claimed a maiden five-wicket haul against Zimbabwe. More than two decades later, he’s still going.
After 21 years, he has played the second most Test matches (186) by a player. He is the third-highest wicket-taker, has 32 four-wicket and five-wicket hauls, and 3 ten-wicket hauls. He has become the most-capped pacer bowler and has bowled the fourth most balls in Test history. He played with players younger than his international cricket career (Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir).
