James Anderson completes 700 Test wickets: Who were Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan’s 700th Test victims?
England legend James Anderson created history on Saturday, March 9, becoming the first fast bowler to claim 700 Test wickets. The 41-year-old achieved the feat in the first session of play on Day 3 of the fifth Test against India in Dharamsala when he dismissed Kuldeep Yadav for 30.
Anderson’s 700th Test wicket was a typical dismissal as the batter poked at a delivery outside off and got the edge, which was gobbled up by the keeper. The veteran right-arm pacer became only the third bowler in Test history to claim 700 Test wickets.
Late Australian spin wizard Shane Warne (708) is the first bowler to reach the landmark, while Muttiah Muralitharan became the second. The Sri Lankan great ended his career with exactly 800 wickets.
Warne claimed his landmark 700th Test scalp during the Boxing Day Test against England in the 2006-07 Ashes. The leg-spinner reached the figure by cleaning up England opener Andrew Strauss (50 off 132) with a brute of a delivery in the first innings.
The England left-hander attempted an expansive cover drive, but the ball spun back massively to knock back the stumps.
Warne went on to complete a five-fer and picked up two more wickets in the second innings.
He also contributed an unbeaten 40 in Australia’s first innings and was named the Player of the Match for his all-round effort as the Aussies thumped England by an innings and 99 runs at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Meanwhile, legendary former Sri Lankan off-spinner Muralitharan picked up his 700th Test wicket during the third Test against Bangladesh in Kandy in July 2007. Muralitharan headed into the game needing 12 wickets to reach the landmark. He claimed 6-28 in the first innings as Bangladesh were bundled out for 131.
Muralitharan picked up a six-fer in the second innings to become the second bowler to pick up 700 Test wickets. The big moment for the Sri Lankan came when Syed Rasel (4) tried to take on a flighted delivery but only managed a catch towards Farvez Maharoof at mid-off.
With the wicket, Sri Lanka registered an innings and 193-run triumph over Bangladesh. Muralitharan was named the Player of the Match and Player of the Series (26 wickets) as Sri Lanka whitewashed Bangladesh 3-0.
India bowled out for 477 as Anderson claims No. 700
Resuming their first innings on Day 3 in Dharamsala at 473-8, India were hoping to extend their first innings lead of 255, but the overnight batters did not last long.
While Kuldeep was caught behind off Anderson to become the bowler’s 700th Test victim, Jasprit Bumrah (20) was stumped off Shoaib Bashir, who finished with 5-173.
India, though, hit back with the ball and reduced England to 36-3 in their second innings. Ravichandran Ashwin, playing his 100th Test, claimed all three wickets to fall - Ben Duckett (2), Zak Crawley (0) and Ollie Pope (19).