Stats: Broad and Anderson have taken the most wickets together (1039) in 138 Test matches

In 16 years, Stuart Broad has gone from being the baby-faced rookie who was dragged all over Kingsmead by a rampaging Yuvraj Singh on a warm September night in 2007 to one of the greatest English Test cricketers of all time.

Being ranked in the top five wicket-takers in Test cricket history says much about a player’s skill, grit, willpower, and capacity to overcome obstacles. 

In 16 years, Stuart Broad has gone from being the baby-faced rookie who was dragged all over Kingsmead by a rampaging Yuvraj Singh on a warm September night in 2007 to one of the greatest English Test cricketers of all time. For the coming generations, Broad leaves a legacy that nearly reached impossible peaks and attained amazing heights.

Leading wicket-takers in Test cricket

Player                         Mat Balls Wkts Avg SR 5-fers Best

M Muralidaran 133 44039 800 22.72 55 67 9/51

Shane Warne             145 40705 708 25.41 57.4 37 8/71

James Anderson 183 39217 690 26.42 56.8 32 7/42

Anil Kumble             132 40850 619 29.65 65.9 35 10/74

Stuart Broad             167 33698 604 27.68 55.7 20 8/15

Glenn McGrath 124 29248 563 21.64 51.9 29 8/24

Courtney Walsh 132 30019 519 24.44 57.8 22 7/37

Being a better version of oneself every day is a constant goal for any sportsperson, and Broad has exhibited this quality throughout his career. His first significant milestone of 100 Test wickets came after 35 Tests, during which he almost averaged 36, a number that would rise at each succeeding milestone.

Milestone wkt     Match # Season Avg SR

100th wicket         35 2011 35.94 68.8

200th wicket         60 2013 31.54 61.8

300th wicket         83 2015 29.58 57.4

400th wicket       115 2017/18 29.31 59

500th wicket       140 2020 27.99 56.9

600th wicket       166 2023 27.04 55.9

The fact that only two bowlers have taken more wickets at home than Broad (398), which shows that Broad has always been a master there, is evident. In Tests, he averages 25.91 away from home and 23.86 at home. His strong ER of 2.59 highlights his ability to keep things when he is not in the middle of the action.

Broad and Anderson have taken the most wickets together (1039) in the 138 Test matches that they have played together – more than any other pair in the history of the game.

Most wickets by a pair in Tests

Pair                                   Team   Matches Wkts Avg

J Anderson – S Broad             Eng 138 1039 26.73

S Warne – G McGrath             Aus 104 1001 23.17

M Muralitharan – C Vaas       SL 95 895 24.11

C Ambrose – C Walsh           WI 95 762 22.67

N Lyon – M Starc           Aus 77 612 29.76

Wasim – Waqar           Pak 61 559 22.13

T Southee – T Boult           NZ 65 541 27.39