Anderson Takes 700th Wicket, But India Beat England by An Innings

HARAMSHALA, India (AP) — James Anderson became only the third bowler to pick up 700 test wickets but his celebration was muted when England lost by an innings and 64 runs against India in the fifth and final cricket test inside three days.

India scored 477 runs in their first innings while England were 218 and 195 in reply.

Anderson, already the third-highest wicket-taker in test history, joined the 700-club when he dismissed India’s Kuldeep Yadav on Saturday morning at Dharamshala. The England veteran achieved the feat in his 187th test and is the first pace bowler to reach the milestone.

He followed Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800 wickets in 133 tests) and Australia’s Shane Warne (708 wickets in 145 tests), both spin bowlers to have achieved the mark.

India had a winning 3-1 lead. They won the fourth test in Ranchi by five wickets to capture the series.

England were in deep trouble and staring at a heavy defeat after being 103-5 at lunch, trailing by 156 runs.

India finished the second day at 473-8, with Yadav (30) and Jasprit Bumrah (20) at the crease. India only added four runs to their overnight score — Anderson had Yadav caught behind in the fourth over of the morning to achieve his milestone.

Then spinner Shoaib Bashir had Bumrah stumped to finish with 5-173. It was his second five-wicket haul in four tests, and he became the first England bowler to achieve the feat before turning 21.

Indian skipper Rohit Sharma did not take the field in England’s second innings because of a stiff back. Vice-captain Bumrah took charge, sharing the new ball with Ravichandran Ashwin.

Ashwin took 5-77 and finished with match figures of 9-128 in his 100th test and had ushered in England’s slide in the second innings.

Ashwin began in the second over, bowling Ben Duckett for two, as the opener danced down the track.

Ashwin then dismissed Zak Crawley for a 16-ball duck in the sixth over. Ollie Pope tried a sweep shot but only ended up offering an easy catch to Yashasvi Jaiswal at short leg. Pope made 19 runs and England was down to 36-3.

Jonny Bairstow, appearing in his 100th test, and Joe Root added 56 runs for the fourth wicket. Bairstow was aggressive, hitting three fours and three sixes in his 31-ball, 39-run total.

But Yadav provided the breakthrough, trapping Bairstow lbw, as England lost a fourth wicket leading up to lunch. It got worse as Ashwin bowled skipper Ben Stokes for just two runs leaving the English second innings in tatters.

Post lunch, Ashwin completed his 36th five-wicket haul in tests as Ben Foakes attempted a slog sweep and was bowled for eight.

Bumrah picked up the next two wickets with immaculate yorkers.

He trapped Tom Hartley lbw for 20 with a slower ball and then repeated it with a quicker yorker to send Mark Wood back for a two-ball duck.

Joe Root played the lone hand and top-scored with 84 runs off 128 balls, including 12 fours. It wasn’t enough to save England’s blushes as Yadav finished proceedings with time to spare on the third day.

Ravindra Jadeja, too, picked up a wicket, bowling Bashir for 13.

India had rebounded from England’s 28-run victory back in January by winning the second test in Visakhapatnam by 106 runs, the third test in Rajkot by 434 runs, and the fourth test in Ranchi.

India thus cements their top spot in the ICC world test championship rankings, with 68.51 percentage points from six wins in nine tests. England are eighth in the standings, with only three wins in 10 tests in this current 2023-25 cycle.