Birmingham Aug 9: England fast bowler James Anderson has claimed the prized wicket of Sachin Tendulkar seven times in Test cricket, only one less than Muttiah Muralitharan who has dismissed the batting maestro eight times in all.

The last time Anderson dismissed the Little Master was in the second innings of the second Test match at Trent Bridge where he had Tendulkar trapped leg before. Anderson has picked the wicket of Tendulkar twice in the ongoing four-match Test series being played in England between India and the hosts.

Anderson, however, is unwilling to play into the ‘Tendulkar being Anderson’s bunny’ line of thought. “A lot of people are starting to mention it, but I genuinely don’t think I have anything over him,” the Daily Express quoted Anderson as saying.

“It is really nice to keep getting him out though and hopefully it will continue,” he added.

Anderson claimed Tendulkar’s Test wicket in March 2006 (in Mumbai) for the first time, and thrice in 2007 (once at Lord’s and in both innings at The Oval). Then, in 2008, he removed Tendulkar twice (in Mohali) and now twice this year (2011 at Lord’s and Trent Bridge). If you include Anderson’s clashes with Tendulkar in ODIs, the bowler has got him out another three times (twice in 2007 and in the World Cup 2011 match in Bangalore) to take his total to 10.

Although he is unable to pinpoint how he has been able to dismiss the batting legend with such regularity, when pressed he suggested that his self-belief has played a big part in making him a better bowler. “There are still plenty of times, like at Trent Bridge earlier in that second innings, when I felt like I had nowhere to bowl at him. He was hitting me for boundary after boundary,” the Lancashire bowler was quoted as saying.

“With all players as good as he is, it is just a question of hanging in there and hoping that you bowl one too good for him,” he added modestly.

While speaking to the media here, Anderson said that he believes India will bounce back in Edgbaston. With the No .1 position in Test cricket at stake, both teams will be fighting hard; India to retain the position and England to gain it.

“We know they are going to come hard at us and we’ve got to try and match that. It’s their No. 1 spot that they are defending so they have got a lot to play for,” Sky Sports quoted Anderson as saying.

“They won’t want to lose the series and if they’ve got any chance of staying in the series, they know they have got to win this week,” he added.