Australia fast bowling legend Glenn McGrath has hailed James Anderson after the England seamer overthauled his Test wickets tally on Tuesday.
Anderson dismissed Mohammed Shami in the final hour of play in the fifth Test against India to clinch a 118-run win for the hosts. In doing so, the Englishman went past McGrath’s tally of 563 Test wickets to become the most prolific pacer in history.
The Aussie, in turn, has lauded Anderson’s achievement and believes that he can breach the elusive 600-wicket mark in the near future.
“I was proud to hold it for as long as I did – for it to be beaten by somebody like Jimmy Anderson is great,” McGrath told BBC’s Radio 5 live.
“I have a lot of respect for Jimmy. He’s been an incredible bowler for a long time. To have played well over 140 Tests and just keep running in, day in, day out, and remain at the top of his game, yeah, I’m very proud Jimmy’s got there.
“If he can raise the bar to 600 wickets, that’s an incredible effort.”
McGrath wants Anderson to breach the 600-wicket mark.
The 36-year-old finished as the highest wicket-taker in the five-match series with 24 scalps to his name and drew further praise from the Aussie legend for his unique skilset.
“Jimmy is different. He’s taller and right-handed, but the way he swings a ball – both ways at will – is is what sets him apart. It’s definitely an art form and when the conditions suit – like they often do at Lord’s when it’s overcast and the ball is swinging – no-one comes close to him,” McGrath said.
“Most guys hit the deck, get the ball in the right area and hope for a little bit of swing. We don’t see people with the skills of Anderson too often.”