5 James Anderson records that might never be broken
Swing, reserve swing and making the ball talk for a good part of 21 years defined the career of James Anderson. He bamboozled the best of batters with his swing for more than two decades.
James Anderson was not a tear-away pacer who regularly clocked 150 kmph to trouble batters. Swing was his main weapon, and he was always accurate with his line and length.
A big chunk of his Test wickets (438) were picked up in England, in conditions conducive to pace bowling, as he bid adieu to a Test career that started in 2003 and ended with the first West Indies Test at Lord's on Friday (July 12).
He was a nightmare for batsmen not only in English conditions but even in conditions alien to swing bowlers. The pacer picked up two five-wicket hauls in the West Indies, South Africa and Sri Lanka and one each in Australia and New Zealand.
Anderson is a modern-day great and has redefined the art of swing bowling in Test cricket. He will go down as one of the greatest pacers to have played the longest format and achieved great heights during his playing days with England.
Five James Anderson records that could stand the test of time
The English pacer has numerous records in Test cricket. Here's a look at five such marks that might never get broken
#1 Most Test wickets by a pacer
In a Test career spanning more than two decades, Anderson picked up 704 Test wickets, the most by a pacer and third highest in Test history.
In the day and age of T20 cricket, James Anderson stands out. With bowlers prioritising the shortest format over Test cricket, it seems unlikely that any pacer will come close to Anderson's tally.
Among active Test players, Tim Southee has the most Test wickets (380), and the Kiwi pacer is in the twilight years of his cricket career.
#2 Most Test matches played by a fast bowler
The fact that Anderson played 188 Test matches speaks volumes about the longevity and fitness of the great man. Only the retired great Sachin Tendulkar (200) played more Tests than the English pacer.
Fast bowlers are more often prone to injuries, which can be career-threatening ones. James Anderson, in his long career for England, battled injuries and made a strong comeback each time to become a better bowler.
Apart from Anderson, only Stuart Broad (167) and Jacques Kallis (166) are the other pacers to have played more than 150 Test matches. Among active players post Anderson's retirement, Indian pacer Ishant Sharma (105) has played the most Tests.
#3 Most balls bowled by a pace bowler in Test cricket
Anderson has bowled 6672.5 overs in Test cricket. In other words, the pacer bowled a staggering 40,037 deliveries in Test cricket, the most by a pacer.
Stuart Broad (33698) is a distant second for deliveries bowled by a pacer, after James Anderson. Among active players in Test cricket, Tim Southee (22,614) has bowled the most deliveries.
#4 Most wickets for England across formats
Only two England bowlers have picked up more than 600 wickets across formats. They are Anderson (991) and his good friend Stuart Broad (847), who retired from Tests last year.
Apart from picking up 704 Test wickets, Anderson has 269 wickets in ODIs and 18 in T20Is. Post Anderson's retirement, Adil Rashid (379) has the most wickets across formats for England.
#5 Most Test wickets by a pacer after turning 35
It's rare for a pace bowler playing Test cricket after turning 35, but Anderson is an exception.
After turning 35, Anderson picked up 224 Test wickets at an average of around 22 in 63 Test matches, including four in his final Test. Only Rangana Herath (233) has picked up more Test wickets after his 35th birthday.