James Anderson vs Glenn McGrath - Similarities and differences

564 wickets. Let the enormity of that sink in. 2932 players have taken field in Test cricket, out of which 2165 players rolled their arms over (or under) once. Only four of those have reached the 564-wicket milestone, and none of the three who reached there before James Michael Anderson were fast bowlers. The Burnley Express castled Mohammed Shami in India's second innings to become the leading pace bowler in the 141-year-old history of Test cricket, going past Glenn McGrath's 563 wickets.

Anderson and McGrath have been as different as chalk and cheese in their modus operandi but yet one can spot a few inevitable similarities between the two. McGrath, tall and lanky, consistently hit the ball on the good length and extracted movement off the seam for his wickets. Being 6'5" tall, he could get that ball to bounce steep off a good length. Anderson, on the other hand, started off predominantly as a swing bowler who often relied on the conditions favoring the ball to move in the air. But as he played more, he added various tricks to his repertoire and at the sunset of his career, he is regarded as one of the most complete bowlers ever to grace the game.

Anderson vs McGrath - Test career

McGrath made his debut in the home summer of 1993/94 and had an indifferent start to his career before he travelled to the