[Watch] Throwback to when James Anderson became the first pacer to scale the 600-wicket landmark in Tests

On this incredible day in 2020, exactly a year after Ben Stokes' heroics at Headingley, England legend James Anderson became the first pacer to reach the 600-wicket mark in the final Test against Pakistan at Southampton.

The delivery from Anderson pitched perfectly in line, seamed away, and bounced sharply to find the outside edge of Pakistan skipper Azhar Ali through to Joe Root at first slip. He was also the only pacer to reach 600 wickets before his England teammate Stuart Broad joined him in his final Test series at the recently concluded Ashes.

Despite the celebratory moment, England could not complete the victory as Pakistan held on for a draw to lose the series 0-1. However, it doesn't take away from one of the most incredible accomplishments in Test history.

Here is the video of Anderson's magical 600th wicket and the reactions that followed:

The 41-year-old is the third leading wicket-taker in Tests, with 690 wickets in 183 games at an average of 26.42, including an incredible 32 five-wicket hauls.

Anderson is also England's most-capped player across formats and their leading wicket-taker.

James Anderson's magnificent Test career at a glance

James Anderson has the knack of bagging the best batters from the opposition.

James Anderson made his Test debut in 2003 as a 20-year-old, and his uncanny ability to swing and seam the ball was immediately visible. Despite playing for over two decades, the 41-year-old is still going strong.

The Lancashire-born pacer finished fourth in wickets during the 2021-23 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle with 58 scalps in 15 games. Anderson is only 10 wickets shy of picking up 700 scalps and 19 away from overtaking the late great Shane Warne to become the second-leading wicket-taker in Tests behind only Muttiah Muralitharan.

Anderson has the second most five-wicket hauls by a pacer behind New Zealand great Richard Hadlee, a testament to his consistency, longevity, and skill level. Another incredible achievement of Anderson's during his illustrious career is the ability to dismiss the best batters of his generation.

The Champion pacer has prized the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar (9), Virat Kohli (7), Steve Smith (8), Kane Williamson (9), Michael Clarke (9), Kumar Sangakkara (7) and Jacques Kallis (7) several times in Tests. Anderson has also dismissed Cheteshwar Pujara and David Warner more than 10 times in the red-ball format.

Anderson is also the first pacer to grab 50 Test wickets against all the other seven major Test-playing nations - India, Australia, Pakistan, West Indies, New Zealand, South Africa, and Sri Lanka, a landmark he achieved against Pakistan in 2016.

Numbers aside, Anderson's legacy lies in his resilience, durability, and evolution to remain on top of the sport in Test cricket. Although criticized for a sub-par Ashes series, it would be foolish to write off the champion pacer, with the number of times he has rebounded in style throughout his career.