England pacer James Anderson turns 39: Decoding his achievements
Veteran England fast bowler James Anderson turned 39 on Friday. The right-arm pacer is one of the most successful bowlers in the history of Test cricket. Even today, the 'Swing King' Anderson remains England's most trusted asset with the new ball in the longest format of the game. As Anderson celebrates his birthday, we look at the senior pacer's achievements.
A look at Anderson's career stats
In 162 Test matches, Anderson has claimed a whopping 617 Test wickets at 26.27. He has registered 30 five-wicket hauls in Test cricket with the best spell of 7/42. He also has three 10-wicket hauls in a Test match. Anderson, who played ODIs from 2002-2015, went on to bag 269 scalps from 194 matches at 29.22. He also played 19 T20Is, claiming 18 wickets.
Anderson has bagged most Test wickets as a pacer
Anderson is the highest wicket-taker among pacers in Test cricket (617). He is also the only pacer in history with 600-plus Test scalps. The next best pacer in terms of wickets is former Australian ace Glenn McGrath (563). Notably, Anderson needs three more wickets to surpass former Indian legendary spinner Anil Kumble and become the third-highest overall wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Happy birthday, James Anderson!
Anderson has taken 900-plus international wickets
Anderson is one of the six bowlers to have claimed 900-plus wickets across formats. Anderson has taken 904 wickets in international cricket at 27.51. He is sixth on the list. Notably, he can surpass former pace legends Wasim Akram (916) and McGrath (949) to become the most successful pacer in terms of career international wickets. Former Lanka spinner Muttiah Muralitharan (1,347) holds the record.
Five-wicket hauls: Anderson has the second-best record among pacers
Notably, Anderson has the second-best record in terms of five-wicket hauls by pacers in Test cricket. Anderson (30) is only behind former New Zealand star Richard Hadlee (36). He is also the joint-sixth highest in terms of five-wicket hauls alongside Indian spinner R Ashwin.
Anderson has the most wickets for England in ODI cricket
Anderson's 269 scalps in ODI cricket is the best ever tally by an Englishman. In 2003, he became the first England pacer to take a hat-trick in ODIs. He achieved the feat against Pakistan at The Oval after dismissing the likes of Abdul Razzak, Shoaib Akhtar, and Mohammad Sami.
Anderson set to climb up in terms of Tests played
Anderson has played the most Test matches for England (162) and in the upcoming series against India, he can surpass the likes of Rahul Dravid, Shivnarine Chanderpaul (164 each), and Jacques Kallis (166) in terms of Test matches played.