- Warnie took a record 708 Test wickets
- Anderson had the chance to surpass him in the final test.
- It wasn’t up to par, but some English fans think it was a failure
Legendary England fast bowler Jimmy Anderson has been denied the chance to overtake Shane Warne in the all-time wicket-taking leaderboard, sparking outrage among English cricket fans.
During his farewell match against the West Indies at Lord’s, Anderson took a wicket in the first innings and secured two more scalps in the second, taking his career total to 703 wickets.
However, England debutant Gus Atkinson overshadowed Anderson’s efforts by taking seven wickets in the first innings, effectively stifling the veteran seamer’s hopes of catching Warne.
With West Indies six wickets down at 6/79, it became mathematically impossible for Anderson to surpass Warne’s record of 708 Test wickets, much to the delight of Australian cricket fans.
Anderson came into the match needing eight wickets to equal Warne and nine to overtake him.
Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan holds the all-time record with 800 Test wickets, ahead of Warne, Anderson, Anil Kumble (619) and Stuart Broad (604).
Despite his unparalleled achievements, some disgruntled England fans believe Anderson should already be ahead of Warne.
Jimmy Anderson will go down in history as one of England’s greatest hurlers of all time.
However, Anderson failed to surpass Warnie’s Test record in his final match.
One England fan pointed out that Warne’s six wickets in a Test against the World XI in 2005 unfairly kept him ahead of Anderson.
‘James Anderson surpasses Shane Warne’s 702 Test wickets (against real countries, not including meaningless World XI matches that should never be given Test match status),’ the fan wrote on X.
However, another fan replied: “Didn’t he dismiss Lara, Kallis, Dravid and Sehwag in that game? Maybe we can celebrate both of them as legends in their own right.”
Anderson, 41, has the most Test wickets by a fast bowler and is seemingly being pushed into retirement as England look to the future.
Earlier this year, the England Cricket Board announced that Anderson’s final appearance in England colours would be a farewell Test against the West Indies, the first of a three-Test series.
“I feel as fit as ever, like I’m bowling as well as ever. I still think I could do a good job,” Anderson said ahead of his 188th Test match.
“But at the same time, I understand that this has to end at some point. The fact is that now it’s something I have to deal with and accept.”
English debutant Gus Atkinson stole the show with eight wickets in the first innings
Many argue that Anderson’s longevity and form justified more opportunities, especially as he came so close to breaking Warne’s record.
One England fan posted: “Let him play the whole series, you horrible bastards.”
Another added: “An all-time great England cricketer Jimmy Anderson is being punished for being a team player. Jimmy continues to play well and CAN surpass Warne’s 708 wickets and become the second highest wicket-taker in history. Come on England! Give him a fair chance!”
Cricket great Andrew Strauss has called for Anderson to be knighted, joining an exclusive group of cricket legends.
Before the Lord’s Test, Strauss was asked whether the 41-year-old should be knighted.
He replied emphatically: “I think any fast bowler who plays 188 Test matches deserves a knighthood, I’ll put it that way.”