Legendary England seamer James Anderson has created history by becoming only the 3rd bowler in history to take 700 Test wickets, joining Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Shane Warne (708). The 41-year-old got there on day 3 of the 5th Test against India in Dharamsala by dismissing Kuldeep Yadav, drawing the outside edge to keeper Ben Foakes.
The Lancashire seamer reached 699 wickets on day 2 of the Test by castling Shubman Gill for 110. Anderson tried his level best to dislodge debutant Devdutt Padikkal and Sarfaraz Khan; however, he was made to wait. The wicket of Kuldeep Yadav came in the 124th over of the innings as Anderson also became the first pacer to take 700 Test scalps.
The Barmy Army didn't cease to show their appreciation for the seasoned red-ball bowler, who made his debut in 2003 and has received plenty of praise for his longevity.
England under pressure as India take 259-run lead:
Even as Anderson claimed his 700th wicket and Shoaib Bashir took a fifer, the tourists are under massive pressure and must play out of their skin to avoid an innings loss. After Bashir's fifer, India's lead stood at a steep 259 on a surface that has some spin and uneven bounce.
England toiled hard on day 2 as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill played aggressively in the opening session to get to their respective centuries. Padikkal and Sarfaraz also hit half-centuries. While India lost 8 wickets by Stumps, Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav had steered the lead past 250.
With England losing both their openers currently, a 4-1 scoreline looks likely.
