When Azhar Ali nicked the ball to Joe Root in the slips on the fifth day of the third and final Test between England and Pakistan, James Anderson made history. The veteran seamer became the first ever fast bowler to claim 600 wickets in the longest format of the game, and only the fourth bowler in the list. As he added another landmark to a glittering career that has lasted over 17 years, cricketers – both current and former – took to social media to hail England’s highest-ever wicket-taker.
Shane Warne and Anil Kumble, two members of the “600 club”, coongratulated Anderson on making it on the elite list.
“Congrats on the 600th Jimmy – Aweosme effort buddy,” tweeted Shane Warne, who is the second-highest wicket-taker in Test history.
“Congratulations @jimmy9 on your 600 wickets! Massive effort from a great fast bowler. Welcome to the club,” wrote Kumble.
“Remarkable achievement to play 156 Tests as a Batsman .. To do it as a quick bowler & then achieve 600 wickets is nothing short of extraordinary .. Well done @jimmy9 .. England’s greatest ever bowler,” wrote his first captain in the national team, Michael Vaughan.
“Champion bowler James Anderson! Congrats on reaching the first-ever 600 wickets for a fast bowler.. hard work, passion and never-day-die approach have been the hallmark of your career.. doyen of fast bowlers, best wishes for the rest of your career @jimmy9,” wrote legendary Pakistan pacer Wasim Akram.
“An extraordinary bowler @jimmy9 goes past yet another milestone. What a bowler and what an achievement !! Well done and look forward to having a healthy debate on the run out and shredder ASAP! Someone like you can really help settling the stigma surrounding it,” wrote Ashwin, slipping in a mention about the banter between them over his ‘Mankading’ controversy.
“For a fast-bowler to play 156 test matches is an incredible achievement, a testament of his endurance. And becoming the first fast bowler to 600 test wickets is a just reward for the hard-work & the passion with which @jimmy9 has played his cricket. Many congratulations,” wrote former India batsman VVS Laxman.
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“Fantastic achievement- congratulations Jimmy,” wrote former Australia pacer Jason Gillespie.
Several others also congratulated Anderson:
Congrats on the 600th Jimmy – Aweosme effort buddy pic.twitter.com/VWflgISbKv
— Shane Warne (@ShaneWarne) August 25, 2020
Congratulations @jimmy9 on your 600 wickets! Massive effort from a great fast bowler. Welcome to the club
— Anil Kumble (@anilkumble1074) August 25, 2020
Remarkable achievement to play 156 Tests as a Batsman .. To do it as a quick bowler & then achieve 600 wickets is nothing short of extraordinary .. Well done @jimmy9 .. England’s greatest ever bowler .. #TestCricket
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) August 25, 2020
Champion bowler James Anderson! Congrats on reaching the first-ever 600 wickets for a fast bowler.. hard work, passion and never-day-die approach have been the hallmark of your career.. doyen of fast bowlers, best wishes for the rest of your career @jimmy9
— Wasim Akram (@wasimakramlive) August 25, 2020
An extraordinary bowler @jimmy9 goes past yet another milestone. What a bowler and what an achievement !! Well done and look forward to having a healthy debate on the run out and shredder ASAP! Someone like you can really help settling the stigma surrounding it.
— Ashwin (@ashwinravi99) August 25, 2020
For a fast-bowler to play 156 test matches is an incredible achievement, a testament of his endurance. And becoming the first fast bowler to 600 test wickets is a just reward for the hard-work & the passion with which @jimmy9 has played his cricket. Many congratulations #ENGvPAK pic.twitter.com/RGOdReZXuL
— VVS Laxman (@VVSLaxman281) August 25, 2020
Fantastic achievement- congratulations Jimmy.
#600 https://t.co/Y3tY0irkXm— Jason Gillespie (@dizzy259) August 25, 2020
Great skills and even greater performer @jimmy9 #600wickets #test
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) August 25, 2020
Congratulations to one and only #anderson for being the first fast bowler to reach 600 Test wickets. I was playing U19 cricket when you started and I am still learning by watching you the tricks of a swing bowler even if I am retired #JamesAnderson #ENGvsPAK #PakvsEng
— R P Singh रुद्र प्रताप सिंह (@rpsingh) August 25, 2020
Congratulations @jimmy9 Astonishing feat…onwards to 700! #600
— Matt Prior (@MattPrior13) August 25, 2020
What a moment for @jimmy9! Congratulations
— Heather Knight (@Heatherknight55) August 25, 2020
600. Jimmy Anderson. One of the greatest…. #ENGvsPAK
— Aakash Chopra (@cricketaakash) August 25, 2020
One of those cricketers who made the game richer in content by their skills. Cricket will owe eternal gratitude to cricketers like Jimmy Anderson. My abiding memory of him : Virat v Anderson 2018 series in England.
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) August 25, 2020
James Anderson is only behind Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne and Anil Kumble on the list of highest wickets in Test cricket. The pacer needs just 20 more wickets to go past Anil Kumble, who retired with 619 Test wickets to his name.
