James Anderson Becomes 1st Fast Bowler, Overall 2nd Bowler To Take 400 Wickets In Home Tests

England pace bowler James Anderson added another feather to his already illustrious cap when he became the first fast bowler to pick up 400 wickets at home in Test matches. He achieved the feat when he dismissed Ajinkya Rahane in India’s second innings at the Headingley.

Anderson is also the second bowler overall to reach the milestone. Sri Lanka’s legendary spinner, Muttiah Muralitharan, sits in the top spot, having snared 493 wickets in 73 matches. Anderson took 94 matches to break the 400-wicket barrier.

Among the active bowlers, the next closest to Anderson is his teammate Stuart Broad, who has 341 wickets in 85 matches at home. India’s Anil Kumble occupied the third spot, with 350 wickets in 63 matches, including the famous 10 wickets in an innings against Pakistan at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.

Ravichandran Ashwin also makes an appearance in the top 10, with 286 wickets in 47 home Tests. Anderson is also the highest wicket-taker in Tests among the fast bowlers, with 629 scalps to his name. In the overall list, he’s only behind Muralitharan and Shane Warne, who have 800 and 708 wickets respectively.

England level series against India following an innings victory at Headingley

After the defeat at Lord’s, England bounced back strongly to wrap up things in under 10 sessions at the Headingley. They bundled the visitors out for 78 in the first innings, before a brilliant century from Joe Root, his third of the series, giving them a healthy 354-run lead.

India batted much better in their second essay, as Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara scored stroke-filled fifties. Going into the fourth day, India was decently placed at 215/2. However, a massive collapse ensued once Pujara lost his wicket.

The Indian team went from 237/3 to 278 all-out before lunch on Day 4. The meek surrender was orchestrated by Ollie Robinson, who picked up a deserved five-wicket haul. With the win, England is now level with India at 1-1 with two more Tests to go.

Also Read – Joe Root Surpasses Michael Vaughan To Become England’s Most Successful Test Captain