During the forthcoming Ashes tour, Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad will become the first pace twins to feature in 100 Tests together – something no fast-bowling pair has achieved before in the history of Test cricket.
Anderson and Broad have 737 wickets together in their 96 Tests, offering a chance to become the most successful pace duo in history, overtaking Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh’s 762 wickets in their 95 Tests.
Both pairs have a strike rate of 56.15, however Ambrose-Walsh have an average of 22.68, while Anderson-Broad’s is 27.35.
What makes the Pommie pair click could be that Anderson is more skiddy and swings the ball prodigiously, whereas Broad uses bounce. Ambrose too used awkward bounce, while Walsh had a similar method with a different style.
Generally, fast bowling tandems are also friends off the field.
But let’s have a more detailed look at the Anderson and Broad.
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Anderson started his ODI career in 2002, when he was only 20, then played Test cricket a year later, taking five wickets in an innings in his first match.
His debut was at Lord’s, which remains a happy hunting ground, picking up 90 wickets there – a record for any fast bowler at one venue. Anderson has taken five wickets in an innings at Lord’s five times, with only Ian Botham’s eight surpassing that stat.
Anderson is only one of six bowlers to take 500 Test wickets. He has five wickets in an innings 24 times and taken ten wickets in a match three times. His best bowling figures are 7-42, achieved recently versus West Indies. Previously, his best figures were 7-43, against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2008.
It is a tribute to his longevity that he achieved his best figures in the last of his 129 Tests so far.
As a batsman, Anderson is probably the best Number 11 in history. He not only has 81 as a highest Test score, he has also played the longest innings by a number 11 in Test history.
AP Photo/James Elsby
Stuart Broad is the son of dour batsman Chris Broad. Yuvraj Singh fans know him as the fast bowler who was hit for six 6s in an over in the T20 World Cup. However, as a Test bowler, Broad is a different story.
Debuting at unforgiving Colombo in 2007, with 1-95 in 36 while Sri Lanka piled up 548, was soon forgotten. Broad shone as a super supporting cast to Anderson and at times outshone him as well.
In his 109 Tests, Broad has picked up 388 wickets, with five wickets in an innings 15 times, and ten wickets in a match twice. His best bowling was his 8-15, singlehandedly bowling out Australia for 60 on the first morning of the Test match at Trent Bridge in the 2015 Ashes – a match in which Anderson did not play.
Broad also has two Test match hattricks, one against India and one against Sri Lanka.
As Anderson has the highest Test score by an Englishman at No.11, Broad has the highest Test score for an English No.9. His huge 169 at Lord’s came after his side’s four, five and six fell for ducks.
Broad also has ten Test 50s – as long as he is at the crease, bowling sides cannot breathe easy.
If there is any question about the English pair, it’s that while at home they take a wicket every 51 (Anderson) and 53 (Broad) deliveries, abroad it increases to 67 and 66.
Australia will be hoping this trend continues.
Anindya Dutta
Roar Guru
Nice one Ritesh, but I am not convinced Anderson will be effective this time around in a australia. Broad is much more versatile and being a few years younger won't do him any harm.
Liam
Guest
Didn't you watch 2005? Simon Jones and Fred Flintoff were nigh unplayable that series, with Jones foreshadowing Ryan Harris (both in terms of just unbelievable bowling and injury issues) and Flintoff was able to bowl faster, more lethally, for longer than anyone over recent Ashes series save Mitch Johnson. As for Broad and Anderson, Anderson is flattered by the better players he's shared an England berth beside; free of being the spearhead of their attack early, then the emergence of Swann first and Broad second have both allowed him to keep on trundling, only truly being mighty when conditions suited him. Broad acts in a modern context in taking the stubborn wickets, where Anderson gets batsmen who haven't gotten themselves in yet. Broad will, again, do well in this Ashes series; what he bowls is suited to Australian conditions. Anderson will not; as the series develops, he will get slower and slower, looking more frustrated and more tired, but he won't retire. He'll wait until after the next Ashes over there, and try to end on a high note.
Ritesh Misra
Roar Guru
Let us see. If they are fit they are likely to complete the entire 5 tests. England will want them to
Ritesh Misra
Roar Guru
It indeed will be a challenge
Ouch
Guest
I'm not sure either will complete the entire 5 tests. Stuart Broad is a fighter and the English player I admire the most. Barring injury I reckon he'll keep motoring, even if England are getting humped. Jimmy on the other hand, seems to drop his head when things aren't going his way and with the possible exception of the day/night test where the ball is inclined to move around after dark, I can't see where much will be going his way. He is now 35 and the long, hot days may just do him in. Still, it's a great achievement by them and they are certainly the best English bowlers I have seen.
jameswm
Roar Guru
We'll see how Jimmy does aged 35 in conditions not as conducive to swing.