Stuart Broad and James Anderson (Twitter)
Test cricket’s most prolific portmanteau, James Anderson and Stuart Broad, are on the cusp of scaling new personal heights, something one can expect them to accomplish in the upcoming Ashes.
The series is set to commence on June 16 at Birmingham, and it will serve as a launching point of the 2023-25 World Test Championship cycle.
Anderson chases 700, Broad chases 600, while both chase Ashes glory
It took over a decade for James Anderson to dethrone former Australian quick Glenn McGrath to become Test cricket’s most successful fast bowler. Nearly four years later, Anderson’s bowling companion Stuart Broad joined the bandwagon and the two now approach even bigger heights in the format.
The 40-year-old warhorse, nearing 41, has claimed 685 wickets since launching his Test journey in 2003. With 15 more scalps to his name, the English legend will become the first fast bowler in history, and third overall after spin greats Muttiah Muralidaran and Shane Warne, to collect 700 Test victims.
Meanwhile, Broad needs another 18 wickets to complete 600 in his ever-increasing Test tally. In doing so, he will become only the second pacer and fifth bowler overall to achieve the 600-wicket threshold.
One can expect the two speedsters to claim their respective milestones sometime during the course of the upcoming Ashes series at home.
England’s chances will massively rely on Anderson and Broad, if they are to clinch their first Ashes title since 2015.
Notably, the upcoming series will be England’s first Ashes challenge ever since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over team’s Test command. Under the duo, the Englishmen have employed a fearless and result-oriented philosophy, often called ‘Bazball’, which has yielded them 11 wins from just 13 matches.
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