JIMMY: WE’RE UP FOR IT

JIMMY ANDERSON insists England have the quality and character to bounce back and win the Ashes – with or without Ben Stokes.

England’s suspended all-rounder will play for Canterbury in Christchurch on Sunday after the ECB and Cricket New Zealand rubber-stamped his participation.

But his hopes of facing Australia this winter look bleak after police passed the results of their investigation to the Crown Prosecution Service.

“The situation with Ben is out of our hands and we have to try to focus on winning this Test with the squad we’ve got,” said Anderson.

“It’s important we do that because any distractions outside our group will probably inhibit that. But this Test in Adelaide with a pink ball under lights could be somewhere that will really suit our bowling attack.”

Anderson said England will prepare for another short-pitched assault but admitted he is not expecting protection from the umpires if the first Test is anything to go by.

“It is very clear how they will attack us but it’s our job to get in the nets and figure out ways of combating that – ways of defending yourself, staying at the crease if you’re with a batsman,” he said.

“I don’t know what constitutes dangerous bowling.

“It’s the umpire’s personal take on it but it was mentioned to Marais (Erasmus) in the last game. I questioned when does it get dangerous but he didn’t seem to think it was not too bad.

“So we’ll have to plan to get a barrage, which we are.”

Anderson (right) is also prepared for a verbal assault after Australia ramped up the sledging in the first Test.

He said: “From a personal point of view that excites me and will drive me on to do the best I can with bat and ball. But they will go hard at us.

“They were fairly quiet for the first few days when we were doing well but now they are 1-0 up they are going to keep coming at us.

“It is up to us individually and as a group to stick together and know that we are not here to roll over.”