England’s star pacer James Anderson picked his 30th five-wicket haul in Test cricket and moved to the sixth position among Test cricketers with most five-wicket hauls.
The Burnley born pacer who had become the first fast bowler to claim 600 Test wickets last year in July was tied with Glenn McGrath 29 five-wicket hauls before this Test. Just as he removed Niroshan Dickwella, he surpassed the Aussie and also joined a club of greats to have taken 30+ five-wicket hauls in Test cricket.
Anderson then went on to pick Suranga Lakmal as his sixth wicket of the innings. The 38-year old had taken three of the four Sri Lankan wickets to fall on the first day of the second Test at the Galle International Stadium.
He picked up the crucial wicket of Angelo Mathews, who had scored a century early on the second day. The former Sri Lanka captain edged one behind to wicket-keeper Jos Buttler.
Anderson is the fourth-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket and the best among pace bowlers with 606 scalps. The 38-year-old pace bowler needs 14 more to get past leg-spinner Anil Kumble as the third-highest wicket-taker in Test cricket.
Among pace bowlers, only Richard Hadlee has more five-wicket hauls (36) than Anderson in Test cricket. Sri Lanka’s spin sensation and the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket history, Muttiah Muralitharan also leads the chart for most five-wicket hauls, 67.