"Not one I can see another fast bowler matching" - Stuart Broad in awe after James Anderson crosses 700-wicket mark in Tests

Retired England cricketer Stuart Broad lauded James Anderson after his latest achievement and claimed that no fast bowler will surpass him in the near future. The 37-year-old believes now is the time to praise Anderson, given how consistently he has troubled batters over the last 20 years.

Day 3 of the fifth Test between India and England in Dharamsala saw Anderson become the first pacer and third overall to take 700 wickets in the format. The Lancashire seamer's parents were present at the venue, cheering their son for his accomplishment as he nicked off Kuldeep Yadav.

In his column for The Daily Mail, Broad wrote:

"It’s a phenomenal achievement and not one I can see another fast bowler matching. When people talk about Jimmy, they mention the dedication and the mental resilience to keep driving forward, and obviously, you don’t play until you’re 41 without that but this is now the time we should just marvel at his skill, really, because that is what it has taken to get that many wickets in different conditions, challenging the best batters in the world for more than 20 years."

However, the 167-Test veteran felt India's thumping innings win overshadowed Anderson's accomplishment.

"It’s a shame in a way that he will not be able to remember joining the elite company of Shane Warne and Muttiah Muralitharan for slightly better reasons in the sense that his moment came in a bit of a thumping at the end of a long tour for England."

Anderson finished with two wickets in the match as India emerged triumphant by an innings and 64 runs. Although the hosts lost the opening Test of the series, they bounced back to win the next four comprehensively and secure a 4-1 scoreline.

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"Part of me was hoping he’d be on 699 coming back to Lord's - Stuart Broad

Stuart Broad and James Anderson. (Credits: Getty)

Broad admitted that he hoped to see Anderson take his 700th wicket at Lord's to congratulate him in person.

"Selfishly, part of me was hoping he’d be on 699 coming back to Lord’s this summer and that I could be there to witness it with so many other England fans. Given our close working relationship over the years, I’d have loved to be one of the 10 guys walking off behind him, giving him a clap."

The 37-year-old quipped that Anderson might consider retiring only at the age of 65.

"How long will he go on for as a Test bowler? It’s a question people will naturally ask but I honestly have no idea. Jimmy’s an addict, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. It’s so ingrained in him that he sometimes gives the impression that he wants to retire at the traditional UK age of 65."

With an away Ashes series looming next year, Broad pondered whether Anderson will make it that far.

"He will know when the time’s right to go, and only he can make that call. Is it possible that he would play in the next Ashes away? Yes. Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes would want him to go on for the next 18- 24 months, but he will be 43 then and I don’t necessarily think he'll be looking that far ahead."

Despite Anderson's remarkable achievement, England's first series loss under Ben Stokes sparked plenty of backlash among their media.