'James Anderson is a joke' - Graeme Swann on pacer's 'nonsensical' 700 Test wickets achievement

James Anderson reaching the landmark of 700 Test wickets was the only positive to have come out of the entire Test series for England against India. India won the series 4-1 and topped the WTC points table. England unfortunately are languishing eighth on the points table.

James Anderson started the series on 690 Test wickets. He took 10 wickets across four Test matches to end with 700 wickets in 187. He is 13 short of equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s tally of 200 Test matches, the most played by any cricketer. It will be interesting to see whether he tries to surpass that.

Anderson loves playing against India. In 39 Test matches against India, he has picked up 149 wickets and he missed the 150 mark by just one wicket. He took two for 60 in the only innings that India batted in the final Test in Dharamsala. Talking to PTI about Anderson reaching 700 Test wickets he termed it as a nonsensical achievement.

Graeme Swann on James Anderson’s Longevity

“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” said Swann on Anderson.

“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 his long Test career, Anderson has picked up 32 fifers and three 10-wicket-hauls. Meanwhile, Swann shared his thoughts on the India vs England fifth Test in Dharamsala that ended inside 3 days. He said it was a good advertisement for Test cricket despite the quick finish.

“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.

The former England spinner further said that England will have to retrospect how they have played their cricket so far after the telling series loss to India.

“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.

Meanwhile, this was the first series defeat for England under Ben Stokes who took over as the Test captain halfway through 2022. This was also the first time, that England lost three Test matches on the trot under Stokes. England started the series with a win in Hyderabad. However, since then they have been well and truly dominated and defeated in the next four Test matches.

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