England warhorse Anderson enters 700 test wicket club

DHARAMSALA, India : England's James Anderson became on Saturday only the third bowler, and the first seamer, to claim 700 test wickets in the ongoing fifth and final test against India in Dharamsala.

The 41-year-old, already the most successful fast bowler in test cricket's history, entered his 187th test two wickets short of the 700-mark.

Anderson clean bowled Shubman Gill on Friday and Kuldeep Yadav became his 700th victim on day three of the contest, when the batter fell caught behind.

Anderson held the ball aloft while his team mates mobbed him.

The travelling 'Barmy Army' fans gave him a standing ovation as Anderson led his team off the field at the innings break at the picturesque Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association stadium.

Sri Lanka's Muttiah Muralitharan leads the all-time chart with 800 wickets from 133 tests, followed by Australia spin great Shane Warne (708).

While Anderson is immensely skillful, his remarkable longevity, attributed to his smooth action, as a fast bowler continues to amaze the followers of the game.

"At the foothills of the Himalayas, James Anderson has reached the insurmountable summit for a fast bowler in test match cricket," former England bowler Steven Finn told the BBC.

"Nobody will ever take more than 700 test wickets as a fast bowler. He's a remarkable man and player and he's still going."

Anderson made his England debut in a one-day international against Zimbabwe in 2002 and played his first test five months later against Australia.

In his 22 years in international cricket, the Lancashire player has established himself as a complete bowler, who can make the ball talk with his command on swing bowling - both traditional and reverse.

(This story has been corrected to change the year to 2002, not 2022, in paragraph 10)