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When James Anderson began his international career, there was no T20 cricket - the format that we cannot get enough of nowadays. Such is the longevity achieved by the English pacer that he is still going strong 20 years after making his debut in 2003.
Coming in as a 20-year-old with a rhythmic action, Anderson's ability to move the ball both ways and make it talk was immediately visible. His run-up and bowling action in the English whites has been a sight to behold for fans across the globe for over two decades.
Playing in his unbelievable 183rd Test in the ongoing England-Australia contest at The Oval, the champion pacer is still going strong and remains an irresistible force in the red-ball format. He finished fourth among leading wicket-takers in the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with 58 scalps in 15 games.
The ability to evolve with changing times and horning his skills accordingly has ensured that Anderson remained a step ahead of opposition batters.
With 690 wickets, Anderson is the third leading wicket-taker in the history of Test cricket. He also has 32 five-wicket hauls at a bowling average of 26.34 and is England's leading wicket-taker across formats and their most capped player.
While James Anderson boasts numerous other astonishing records that would require a book in and of itself, let us look at three reasons why the England pacer is the greatest Test fast-bowler of all time as a tribute to his 41st birthday.
#1 Most wickets by a fast-bowler in Tests
James Anderson holds the envious record for the most Test wickets by a fast-bowler, overtaking Australian legend Glenn McGrath in the second Test against South Africa at home last year. He also became the first pacer to scale the 600-wicket mark in the red-ball format.
Although his teammate Stuart Broad entered the 600-wicket club in the ongoing Ashes, Anderson is only 10 wickets shy of picking up 700 scalps. He is also 19 away from overtaking Shane Warne to become the second-leading wicket-taker in Tests behind only Muttiah Muralitharan.
The ace pacer has also played the second most number of Test matches (183) behind only the legendary Indian batter Sachin Tendulkar.
The numbers are a testament to Anderson's consistency, longevity, and durability in the physically most daunting format of the sport.
In addition, his ability to produce match-winning performances is reflected by the fact Anderson has the second most five-wicket hauls by a pacer behind New Zealand great Richard Hadlee.
#2 Dismissed the best batters several times
What epitomizes a champion sportsman apart from the overall numbers is the ability to outperform fellow greats of the sport. In that sense, James Anderson boasts one-upmanship over several legendary batters in the red-ball format.
The champion pacer has dismissed arguably the best batter of all-time, Sachin Tendulkar, a stunning nine times in Tests. Tendulkar averaged only 23.10 against Anderson, much lower than his overall Test average of over 53.
He has also got the better of other greats like Cheteshwar Pujara (12), David Warner (10), Michael Clarke (9), Jacques Kallis (7), and Kumar Sangakkara (7) on numerous occasions.
Anderson has also scalped three of the big-four batters of the generation - Virat Kohli (7), Steve Smith (8), and Kane Williamson (9) a combined 24 times in his Test career.
Also noteworthy is that 75 percent of Anderson's wickets have been players batting in the top seven, which is second to only Glenn Mcgrath among the top 10 leading wicket-takers.
His lid on the top order and often the best batters of the opposition speaks volumes about his impact in Test cricket.
#3 First fast bowler to pick up 50 wickets against all major Test-playing nations
James Anderson also became the first pacer to grab 50 Test wickets against all the other seven major Test-playing nations - India, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka. He achieved this incredible feat seven years back against Pakistan at home.
The 41-year-old has over 100 wickets against three countries- India (139), Australia (117), and South Africa (103). Anderson has the most Test wickets among bowlers against India, with 139 scalps at an incredible average of 24.89.
The English superstar also averages less than 31 with the ball against everyone except Australia, showcasing tremendous versatility. Anderson has also picked up 40 wickets or more in a calendar year ten times and over 35 scalps a resounding 13 times.
