Forget about beating Australia if we can’t be consistent, says Jimmy
JAMES ANDERSON was damning of England’s bowling performance against West Indies at Headingley and warned flaws must be ironed out hastily if they are to retain hope of winning the Ashes this winter.
All too often this summer it has been the batting that has proved a concern for Joe Root’s team, with the attack, led by England’s most-prolific bowlers Anderson and Stuart Broad papering over the cracks. However, 35-year-old Anderson confessed the up-and-down nature of their play in general is cause for deep concern after twin hundreds from Kraigg Brathwaite and Shai Hope provided a previously hapless West Indies with control of the second Test.
‘I thought we had got on the right side of that, started to resolve that, with the two wins against South Africa and then winning the first Test here,’ Anderson said.
‘We are still evolving as a side, trying to improve and ironing out those inconsistencies is a really big thing for this team.
‘Obviously, we have got a big tour of Australia coming up, and we really need to turn things round. We can’t go over there, be inconsistent, and expect to win a series — or any series, to be honest.’
Losing to this West Indies side would provide a seismic jolt to preparations for the winter but England will have to be more clinical to prevent a lead, already standing at 71 runs, getting out of control.
‘Anything over 150 would be a tough ask to try to turn it around, so restricting them to anything under that and we are still in the game,’ said Anderson.
West Indies appeared to be on the canvas once more after two early morning successes for Anderson left them 35 for three. But Brathwaite rode the storm alongside Hope.
‘We didn’t bowl enough balls in the right area. You have still got to create pressure even if you are bowling on a pitch with no life in it, and we didn’t do it often enough,’ Anderson added.
The under-par performance coincides with the impending departure of Ottis Gibson, who is set to become South Africa coach.
Anticipating the move to happen imminently, England will use Kevin Shine as an interim bowling coach for next month’s one-day series against the Windies.
Brathwaite, meanwhile, suggested the desire to respond to last week’s woeful defeat at Edgbaston came from within rather than as a response to stinging criticism.
‘Looking in the mirror at ourselves, we knew we could do better,’ he said. ‘As a team we decided we won’t give up and just work twice as hard.’