England paceman James Anderson became the first fast bowler to reach 600 wickets in Test cricket before the third and final Test against Pakistan finished as a draw, leaving the home side to celebrate a second series victory of the pandemic-disrupted summer.
Less than two hours of cricket were played on a rain-affected day five, with England taking just two of the eight wickets needed to win the match at the Rose Bowl after Pakistan resumed on 2-100 and trailing by 210 runs.
England’s James Anderson has become the first fast bowler to reach 600 Test wickets.
In 17 Years Career – Jimmy Anderson had bowled 33,717 deliveries and became the 4th bowler to get this milestone!#ENGvPAK #JamesAnderson pic.twitter.com/ImSwX6c3GG
— Times of Sports (@timesofsports) August 25, 2020
The big consolation was Anderson took one of them, removing Pakistan captain Azhar Ali to join retired spinners Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble in the “600 club” in Tests.
Muralitharan (800), Warne (708) and Kumble (619) remain above Anderson on the all-time list of wicket-takers.
“It feels amazing,” said Anderson, a 38-year-old seamer who was playing in his 156th Test.
“I just absolutely love it. There is no better feeling for me than putting the boots on and doing what I love doing.”
6️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/fL9aifFjyV#ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/jjNlyM1Ty6
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) August 25, 2020
The paceman was the first English bowler to 500 Test wickets a year earlier when he bowled West Indies opener Kraigg Brathwaite – who also became Stuart Broad’s 500th Test wicket earlier this summer.
James Anderson’s Stats Over a Period of Time
| Matches | Wickets | Average | 5WI | |
| 2003 – 2009 | 44 | 148 | 34.85 | 7 |
| 2010 – 2013 | 47 | 192 | 27.34 | 8 |
| 2014 Onwards | 65 | 259 | 21.78 | 13 |
Stat Before Picking His 600th Wicket in Test Match
Stats of Fast Bowlers To Took Most Wickets in Test After Turning 30 Years:
| Matches | Wickets | |
| C Walsh | 81 | 341 |
| J Anderson | 85 | 331 |
| G McGrath | 65 | 287 |
| R Hadlee | 51 | 276 |
| A Donald | 47 | 216 |
Most Wickets By a Pacer in Test After Turning 30 Years
Anderson’s Milestone Wickets
1. Mark Vermeulen, Zimbabwe
50. MS Dhoni, India
100. Jacques Kallis, South Africa
150. Graeme Smith, South Africa
200. Peter Siddle, Australia
250. Lahiru Thirimanne, Sri Lanka
300. Peter Fulton, New Zealand
350. Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka
400. Martin Guptill, New Zealand
500. Kraigg Brathwaite, West Indies
600: Azhar Ali, Pakistan
Anderson reached the milestone in his 156th Test match, over 17 years after he took his first wicket by bowling Zimbabwe batsman Mark Vermeulen on his Test debut at Lord’s in May 2003.
Top 10 Highest Wicket Takers of All Time:
| Player | Mat | Inns | Wkts | Ave | SR | 5 | 10 |
| M Muralitharan (ICC/SL) | 133 | 230 | 800 | 22.72 | 55 | 67 | 22 |
| SK Warne (AUS) | 145 | 273 | 708 | 25.41 | 57.4 | 37 | 10 |
| A Kumble (INDIA) | 132 | 236 | 619 | 29.65 | 65.9 | 35 | 8 |
| JM Anderson (ENG) | 156* | 291 | 600 | 26.76 | 56.2 | 29 | 3 |
| GD McGrath (AUS) | 124 | 243 | 563 | 21.64 | 51.9 | 29 | 3 |
| CA Walsh (WI) | 132 | 242 | 519 | 24.44 | 57.8 | 22 | 3 |
| SCJ Broad (ENG) | 143* | 263 | 514 | 27.64 | 56.3 | 18 | 3 |
| DW Steyn (SA) | 93 | 171 | 439 | 22.95 | 42.3 | 26 | 5 |
| N Kapil Dev (INDIA) | 131 | 227 | 434 | 29.64 | 63.9 | 23 | 2 |
| R Herath (SL) | 93 | 170 | 433 | 28.07 | 60 | 34 | 9 |
Also read: England Pacer James Anderson Denies Retirement Rumours
