First Time I Saw Him: Sachin Tendulkar Pays James Anderson’s Tribute While Pacer Accumulates 700 Wickets
(Sources: The Cricket Lounge)
The first bowler to reach 700 Test wickets is Anderson. Only two bowlers have taken 700 or more wickets: Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and the late Shane Warne (700).
James Anderson, an England pacer, made history by becoming just the third bowler to ever take 700 wickets in a Test match. In addition, he is the first fast bowler to take this many wickets in 147 years. “We are so lucky to be witnessing utter greatness,” England Cricket wrote on X, formerly Twitter, in honour of the milestone. An incredible accomplishment made possible by unmatched talent, endurance, and unwavering commitment. Many congratulations.
Recognition began to flow for the 41-year-old wicket-taking machines, who never stops. MySpace had not yet been introduced when Anderson made his Test debut for England in May 2003, according to cricket writer Jarrod Kimber, who also noted that Anderson’s Test career predates social networking. The same pacer is being lauded online these days.
Sachin Tendulkar’s son Arjun Tendulkar, who plays IPL for the Mumbai Indians and the Ranji Trophy for Goa, was watching the match live from a hotel room. He shared a picture of the TV screen on social media. In an effort to show Anderson his admiration, Arjun penned “The Goat.
Since his father, the legendary Sachin Tendulkar, is a better writer, he chose to compose a more extensive post for Anderson on social media. Tendulkar called Anderson’s accomplishment “basically amazing.” Tendulkar claimed to have been amazed by Anderson’s ball control when he first watched him play in 2002.
When I watched Anderson play for the first time, it was in Australia in 2002, and I was impressed by his remarkable ball control. He was well-regarded by Nasser Hussain at the time, and he probably would say the same thing now: “Maine bola tha”—that he had predicted the future so accurately. 700 wickets in Test cricket is an incredible feat. Before Anderson achieved it, it would have seemed impossible for a fast bowler to play for 22 years and be so reliable that he could collect 700 wickets. Quite amazing,” Tendulkar wrote.
Anderson’s parents witnessed their team take the momentous wicket while watching from the stands at the HPCA stadium in Dharamsala. His dad had also witnessed him claim his first wicket in a Test match. The Anderson family treasured the moment when they saw their son make history.
India was bowled out for 477 by England in the first innings. It was also a five-for for Shoaib Bashir. However, England was in trouble when this piece was written because they were three down with a deficit of more than 200 runs and had conceded less than 50 runs in the second innings.
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