"It's almost nonsensical the achievement" - Graeme Swann hails James Anderson for scaling 700 Test wickets
Former England off-spinner Graeme Swann has hailed James Anderson for his incredible feat of 700 Test wickets, calling his longevity almost impossible to believe.
During the final Test against India in Dharamsala, the 41-year-old became the third bowler and first seamer in cricket history to reach the 700-wicket landmark in Tests. Anderson achieved the feat by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav at the start of Day 3.
Talking about Anderson's monumental accomplishment to the PTI, Swann said:
"He's a joke, Jimmy is an absolute joke, how he has kept going for all this amount of time. When I say it's a joke I mean that in a good way, he's been incredible, and to get 700 wickets, well you know it's almost nonsensical the achievement and I love him to bits."
"I was kind of hoping when he almost bounced Kuldeep out, almost hit his gloves and bobbled in the air, that would have been the dream for Jimmy, because he has not bowled a decent bouncer for 10 years, but he has now," he added.
In a stellar Test career of over two decades with 187 games, Anderson has picked up 32 five-wicket hauls.
He also boasts 149 Test wickets against India, the most against them in cricket history.
"It's a very good advertisement for Test cricket" - Graeme Swann on the 5th Test
Graeme Swann felt the final Test at Dharamsala was still an excellent advertisement for the format despite a three-day affair.
With the series already decided after India's win in the fourth Test, England put on a no-show in the finale to suffer an innings and 64 runs defeat.
"I would say it's a very good advertisement for Test cricket, because it was an exciting match. India were just too good for England in this game. It's always at the end of a series if it's already been won by one team, you worry that this will happen, the resistance will be completely blown away and it was in this Test match," said Swann.
However, Swann admitted England will have to introspect on the hammering they took in India to come back stronger.
"So England will have to go home and shake themselves off wondering where it went so badly wrong. India are world class especially their bowling attack, and that was really shown again in this Test match," concluded Swann.
While India continued their unbeaten run in home Test series' since 2012, the loss was England's first since Ben Stokes took over as permanent captain in the middle of 2022.
Despite winning against all odds in the series opener, the visitors were outplayed convincingly in the subsequent four encounters.