Renowned Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar also praised James Anderson for this amazing accomplishment.
James Anderson of England made history by being the first seamer to ever take 700 wickets in a Test match. Anderson threw up white-ball cricket very early in his career to extend his Test career in the franchise era of cricket, and as things stand, there is now no stopping Anderson.
The 41-year-old accomplished the amazing feat on Day 3 of the fifth Test match against India in Dharamshala by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav. Following the wicket, Anderson received hugs and congratulations from his colleagues, as well as a standing ovation from the Barmy Army that was there.
He recounted that in 2002, Nasser Hussain, a former captain of England, informed him that Anderson had the power to write history. Furthermore, Sachin Tendulkar praised him for playing Test cricket so regularly for more than a few decades and described the accomplishment as “simply magnificent.”
It is noteworthy that the Lancashire pacer has held the title of God of Cricket nine times, having removed the Mumbai hitter the most times during his 24-year career. Tendulkar congratulated the 41-year-old on social media after noticing his incredible performance.
“When I saw James Anderson play for the first time in Australia in 2002, I was immediately impressed by his superb ball control. Back then, Sachin wrote on X, “Nasser Hussain spoke highly of him and I am sure he would say today, “Maine bola tha” — that he had called it so early.”
“Scoring 700 wickets in a test is an incredible feat. Before Anderson achieved it, it would have seemed impossible for a fast bowler to play for 22 years and be so reliable that he could collect 700 wickets. Quite amazing,” he continued.
It’s absurd to see a seamen achieve that milestone: Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan, the former captain of England, also praised Anderson for taking 700 wickets in Test matches. He said that while it is amazing for a spinner to pick up so many wickets, it is absurd for a pacer to do so because of how frequently their bodies—particularly their backs—get injured. Vaughan went on to say that he doubts any other pace will ever be able to accomplish this.
“For a spinner, 700 Test wickets is extraordinary. However, it’s absurd to see a seaman achieve that milestone. I doubt that it will occur again. Vaughan tweeted, “Congratulations, Jimmy, on reaching heights nobody has ever reached before, & I doubt they will in the future.”