IND vs ENG 2021: Anil Kumble congratulates James Anderson for surpassing his wickets tally in Tests
James Anderson reached another milestone in his decorated career by vaulting over former India spinner Anil Kumble's tally of wickets in Tests on Friday (August 6). Anderson's 621 scalps made him the third-highest wicket-taker in the longest format, surpassing the legendary Indian leggie.
The 38-year-old picked up four wickets in the first innings against India at Trent Bridge, taking his tally from 617 to 621. The congratulatory messages flowed in thick and fast, and one of them was from Kumble himself who took to Twitter to praise the pacer.
He wrote in his Tweet:
"Congratulations @jimmy9 Fantastic to see a fast bowler get up there. #legend @ECB_cricket."
You can view the post below.
Sri Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, with 800 wickets from 133 matches, holds the record for most wickets in Tests. Aussie tweaker Shane Warne is second with 708 wickets.
James Anderson was as sharp as ever in the first innings against India
With the wickets of KL Rahul, Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Shardul Thakur, James Anderson struck at regular intervals to peg India back in their attempt to establish a lead.
Rahul made a classy comeback after playing his last Test in 2019 with a composed 84. Ravindra Jadeja (56) and Jasprit Bumrah (28) made valuable contributions as India managed to carve a 95-run lead.
Although England were bolstered by Ollie Robinson, who picked up a fifer, James Anderson was the one who took the spotlight for his historic achievement.
It was the sixth time James Anderson had dismissed Kohli in a Test - the first since the summer of 2014 in England, and another reason why the pacer remains one of the best in the business.
Anderson has been a vital cog in his team's away series wins in all major Test-playing nations. He is also the only pacer to take 300+ Test wickets on home soil.