More than 14 years after castling Zimbabwe opener Mark Vermeulen on his debut at the iconic Lord’s, England pace spearhead James Anderson reached the magical milestone of 500 Test wickets when he clean bowled Kraigg Brathwaite on day two of the ongoing Third Test at the very same ground that is the ‘home of cricket’.
The right-arm fast-bowler became the first England player to join the elite 500 club and only the sixth bowler and third pacer overall – following Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, Glenn McGrath and Courtney Walsh.
Anderson entered the match 3 wickets short of reaching the milestone and it seemed he would get in the first few few hours on the opening day after he took the first two wickets to take his tally to 499.
However, with Ben Stokes wreaking havoc from one end, taking 6 for 22, Anderson remained wicketless for the remainder of the innings.
But he did not have to wait long in the Windies’ second innings as he clean bowled Brathwaite in only his second over to enter the record books.
While Anderson was earmarked for great success after his first Test when he destroyed Zimbabwe with a 5-wicket haul, it is safe to say that the England star has exceeded all the expectations and is looking good to add many more to his kitty.
So here is a pictorial representation of his illustrious Test career:
James Anderson receives his England cap from David Graveney on May 22, 2003James Anderson bowled Mark Vermeulen to claim his maiden Test wicketJames Anderson took a 5-fer on his debutAnderson recalled for the second Test against New Zealand in Wellington in 2008, took a 7-wicket haul in the match. His career really took off from this matchIn the return series at home, he destroyed New Zealand at Trent Bridge with his Test-best 7 for 43 – still his best figures in a Test innings
Along with Monty Panesar, Anderson frustrated Australians for about 40 minutes for the last wicket to secure an unlikely draw at Cardiff in the 2009 AshesHis love affair with Trent Bridge continued as he took 11 for 71 against Pakistan in 2010 to record his best figures in a match
Proved the detractors wrong by performing really well away from home as his staggering 24-wicket haul in 2010-11 Ashes led England to a first series triumph in Australia for 24 years. His 24 wickets were the most by an England bowler over five Tests in Australia since Frank Tyson in 1954Proved his worth again by helping England secure a historic 2-1 Test series win India in 2012. Took six wickets at Kolkata which made MS Dhoni say that he was the difference between the two teamsOnce again played an integral role in the iconic Ashes as his 22 wickets helped England to retain the Ashes on home soil in 2013Dismissed Dinesh Ramdin in 2015 to surpass Sir Ian Botham’s tally of 383 Test wickets and became England’s leading wicket-taker in the longest format of the gameSent back Martin Guptill in the Headingley Test in 2015 to become first Englishman to take 400 Test wicketsIn August 2017, Lancashire renamed the Pavilion End at Old Trafford after James AndersonOn September 8, 2017, Anderson castled Kraigg Brathwaite to enter the 500 club
