Leg and off: Are James Anderson and Stuart Broad the best fast-bowling pair in Test history?

The hardest questions in sports return almost to default when a legendary player of any ilk ends an illustrious career - 'Is he the GOAT' and 'Where does he stand among the pantheons of greats', among several others. Those have been doing the rounds like clockwork ever since James Anderson announced that the ongoing Lord's Test against the West Indies would be his finale.

Yet, multiplying the interesting and debate-stirring question has become the one with his longtime pace-bowling partner Stuart Broad - 'Are they the Best Test bowling pair ever?' And a lesser and more realistically explorative discussion - 'Are they the greatest fast-bowling pair in Tests?'

Broad called time on his glittering international career after the home Ashes last year and Anderson the same 12 months later. How England will fare without the legendary duo in the red-ball format is almost unimaginable.

However, we can dwell on two Test careers that may never be seen again, especially from the same team in an era fast heading towards shorter and shorter formats, and see where they stand against other legendary pace-bowling pairs

Considering the first-ever Test was played in 1877, it is impossible to conclude definitively one way or the other due to various nuances and how the sport has changed for the better or worse in decades.

Nevertheless, whether the pace duo of Anderson and Broad were the best in Test history is a worthy exercise to perform and a well-deserved ode to the two giants of the longest format in a generation sprinting away from it.

#1 The Anderson-Broad pair triumphs in counting numbers

For English cricket, A and B must stand for Anderson and Broad in Tests for their longevity and inimitable accomplishments. Before jumping into comparative numbers, just a look at the raw figures will make jaws drop:

James Anderson - 703 wickets, 32 five-wicket hauls, 3rd all-time

Stuart Broad - 604 wickets, 20 five-wicket hauls, 5th all-time

When the same team in the same era boasts two of the top five all-time leading wicket-takers in Tests, it is hard to argue against them as the best bowling duo, let alone the best pace-bowling pair.

Furthermore, here is a look at the top five most successful pace-bowling duo in Test history.

[Credit: Howstat.com] Comparative figures of best Test pace-bowling pairs

It is clear as day and night that Anderson and Broad triumph over other legendary pace-bowling pairs in total wickets and longevity (no. of matches). The duo are the only fast-bowling pair to play over 100 Tests and pick up over 1000 wickets.

With a massive difference in both wickets and matches as a pair from the second-placed Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh, the Anderson-Broad duo win on the counting numbers.

#2 Impact numbers leave a question mark over the English duo being the best

Things get slightly tricky when we move from the counting numbers to the more impact-defining numbers.

While longevity for a sportsperson is appreciable, it is undeniable that it adds to quantitative numbers as they go hand-in-hand. Thus, a better way to analyze between fast-bowling pairs is wickets per match - a more meaningful figure to provide a wholesome picture.

Here is a table showcasing the top five fast-bowling pairs in terms of wickets/per match (Minimum 500 wickets).

[Credit: Howstat.com] Impact numbers of pace-bowling pairs in Test history

While wickets per match shouldn't be the be-all-end-all, considering the number of drawn Tests that may have had only one innings per team, it is a fair indicator of the impact of a bowling duo in partnership.

With that said, it is apparent while Anderson-Broad's 7.53 wickets/match is excellent, there were four others with at least 500 wickets combined that had better numbers. The Wasim Akram-Waqar Younis pairing boasted an outstanding 9.16 wickets per Test when half their matches were played on home tracks in Pakistan unfavorable to pacers.

Even two of Anderson and Broad's contemporary duos - Dale Steyn-Morne Morkel and Tim Southee-Trent Boult fared slightly better.

#3 Memorable away series wins/results?

While a fast bowling pair alone cannot win a tough away Test series, they play a crucial role among other departments.

It almost works against the Anderson and Broad pairing that England's lone Ashes win in Australia during their tenure occurred when the latter played only two of the five Tests. Since that triumph, the duo have played almost the entire Ashes series down under and suffered several hammerings.

Despite their numbers being commendable even in those tough Aussie tours, the duo did not have a massive impact on results as the home batters almost always piled on the runs.

England's other miserable tour has been that of India and in the lone series win in 2012, Broad picked up no wickets in the two games he played. When the Anderson and Broad duo played together in the future Test tours of India, the English side were often dominated with no series victories to show for.

Yes, the legendary duo ensured England was formidable at home, yet, several drawn series against Australia and struggles against South Africa and India cannot be discounted.

The pair helped England win an away Test series in Pakistan and compete hard in daunting places like New Zealand, adding to their legacies.

However, when we look back at a Steyn-Morkel pairing going unbeaten in an away Test series from 2006 to 2014, the impact of Anderson and Broad as a duo pales in comparison.

In conclusion, the longevity and counting numbers should almost unanimously have fans and experts accept Anderson and Broad as the best pace-bowling pair in Tests. Yet, a broader look towards impact numbers and away Tests in tougher touring places like Australia and India place two or three of their competitors slightly ahead.

Combining these aspects, we can definitively call Anderson and Broad a top-three pace-bowling Test pair even if a sure number uno may invite several unanswerable debates.