England fast bowler James Anderson recalled an interesting interaction with spinner Kuldeep Yadav, moments before he got to his 700th Test wicket in the final Test of the recently-concluded 5-match series against India in Dharamsala. It was Kuldeep who became Anderson’s historic 700th scalp in the longest format of the game as the England legend became the first pacer in the history of the sport to complete the milestone.
James Anderson had become only the 3rd bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (709) to pick up at least 700 Test wickets. The 41-year-old revealed that Kuldeep told him that the India spinner had a feeling that he would be the England pacer’s 700th wicket.
Kuldeep’s prediction came true as the lower-order batter was out, caught behind in the morning session on Day 3 of the Test match. Anderson began the day’s play with 699 scalps and he added the landmark wicket when he came around the wicket and induced a healthy outside edge.
“Kuldeep edged one down to third man for a single and as he got to the non-striker’s end and as I was walking back to my mark, he said, ‘I’m going to be your 700th wicket’. He wasn’t saying he was trying to get out, he was just saying he had a feeling. We both laughed at it,” Anderson told BBC’s Tailenders podcast.
‘MY DAD WAS MORE EXCITED’
The significance of the occasion was amplified by the presence of a very special spectator – Anderson’s father. Amidst the crowd, he watched with pride as his son achieved the historic landmark.
“It was a nice moment and nice to do it at a picturesque ground. My dad was here so I had a drink with my dad, which was nice. He was more excited than I was. Maybe I would’ve felt more excited if we’d won the Test or the series,” Anderson said.
Despite the personal triumph, the day ended on a somber note for Anderson and the England team. The match concluded with England suffering a heavy defeat by an innings and 64 runs, and India clinching the series 4-1.
The 41-year-old fast bowler finished the series with 10 wickets in 4 Tests. Despite not having been able to make a decisive impact with the ball in the 5-Test series, Anderson said he was satisfied with the way he bowled and hoped to win his place in the upcoming English summer.
