Anderson KO was lucky so we’ll have to be right for Lord’s says Langer

AUSTRALIA are hoping for more luck at Lord’s this week as they try to inflict permanent damage on England’s Ashes ambitions.

On the face of it, an emphatic 251-run win at Edgbaston looks like a strong start to the series by the Aussies, who are desperate to win their first contest here for 18 years.

But even they had to admit that the loss of James Anderson just four overs into his contribution was a stroke of luck that helped turn the tide their way, especially during the partnerships between Steve Smith and Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon.

This time around an 11 v 11 contest should be less about luck and more about skill and ability and, with back-to-back games at Lord’s and then Headingley, the chance to force weary bodies to double up is one coach Justin Langer wants to take.

“We are very aware that England played without James Anderson, one of their best players and we got lucky,” said Langer. “That’s the truth of it. With him not playing, he’s a brilliant fast bowler, one of the all-time greats, so if he only bowls four overs for the match, we got lucky there.

“Here there’s different conditions, different pressures so we just have to make sure we’re right for this Test match.We know that back-to-back Tests are always hard and we were lucky in the first Test that our fast bowlers didn’t have to bowl much in the second innings.

“Getting bowlers into their third and fourth spells can be significant, not just for this match but for the whole series, so it’s certainly something that’s on our mind and it will be on England’s mind as well – Ashes series are hard.”

England are hoping to make life a little harder for Steve Smith, too, by bringing left-arm spinner Jack Leach into the side, a type of bowler that the Australian has a poorer record against than others.

It would be fanciful to expect Leach to turn up and make Smith his bunny and Langer is confident his star batsman will be able to counter the problem with aplomb.

“I don’t buy into the numbers,” added Langer. “Steve has this incredible ability to solve problems. I’m sure he’ll be thinking a lot about how he’s going to play all the new bowlers who are coming in. And I hope all our batters are doing the same thing, but he’s a good player and hopefully he’ll have a way of working it out.”