NEW DELHI: Veteran England fast bowler James Anderson has shared an intriguing anecdote about his historic 700th Test wicket, revealing that Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav had a premonition about becoming the landmark scalp during the fifth Test match between England and India in Dharamsala.
Anderson achieved the remarkable milestone on March 9, becoming the first pace bowler and only the third cricketer overall to reach the coveted 700-wicket mark in Test cricket. Kuldeep Yadav’s dismissal marked this significant moment in Anderson’s illustrious career, occurring during his 187th Test appearance.

Reflecting on the memorable incident, Anderson disclosed the conversation he had with Kuldeep Yadav on the BBC’s Tailenders podcast. “Kuldeep edged one down to third man for a single. As he got to the non-striker’s end, and as I was walking back to my mark, he said: ‘I’m going to be your 700th wicket‘,” Anderson recounted.

Despite the lighthearted prediction, Anderson acknowledged that the moment would have been sweeter had England emerged victorious in the series, which they ultimately lost 1-4 to India. “I didn’t celebrate, there was nothing to celebrate. Obviously, that was a nice moment to achieve the feat on a picturesque ground. I would have felt a bit more excited if we would have won,” the 41-year-old expressed.
Highlighting the positives from the challenging series, Anderson emphasized the camaraderie and learning experience gained by the England squad. “I really enjoyed this tour, obviously we lost 4-1, the results weren’t that great but we stuck together really well as a group. There were young spinners and batters who will learn so much from this tour,” he remarked, focusing on the development and growth within the team despite the defeat.
(With inputs from PTI)