ANDERSON AGONY
Now England fear he’ll miss India series
Jimmy AndeRson will miss next month’s first Test in india because of his shoulder problem, with fears growing that he will play no part in the five-match series.
That would be a major blow to england’s hopes of repeating their famous win of 2012-13, when his six wickets helped clinch the decisive victory in Kolkata.
on top of the injury to durham fast bowler mark Wood — out of both the Bangladesh and india series with a fracture in his left ankle — it would be more bad news for captain Alastair Cook, who had planned to rotate his seamers through seven Tests in nine weeks.
Anderson, 34, continues to work with the eCB’s medical staff after he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right shoulder blade but the medics will not make a call until next week.
it is understood, however, that england’s priority is to get him fully fit for next summer and the 2017-18 Ashes.
either way, the first Test against india in Rajkot, starting on november 9, is officially beyond a man who has taken 463 Test wickets — easily more than any other england bowler.
‘i don’t think he will be there for the start,’ said Cook on the eve of his england record 134th Test cap, against Bangladesh in Chittagong — a game he will begin needing 329 runs to break into the all-time top 10 runscorers. ‘He might come out to do some training but he will not be ready for the first Test. He’s been training and is in good shape physically.
‘The decision is going to be made over the next week on when he goes to india.’
Asked if he expected Anderson to play some part in the fivematch series against the world’s no 1-ranked nation, Cook said: ‘yes, but you need to speak to the medical team.
‘Jimmy has not bowled yet and that’s been the problem in the past. The test for his body is when he starts bowling but he is making some strides.’ it did not sound like a confident endorsement, and Anderson, with 55 Test wickets in Asia at 28 apiece, may have to prove his fitness with the england Lions or Under 19s before he is risked in the Test team. The absence of Anderson and Wood will place a bigger burden on stuart Broad, Chris Woakes and Ben stokes. steven Finn and Jake Ball are also part of the squad in Bangladesh, but england can ill-afford another injury among their pace bowlers.
By the end of the two matches in Bangladesh, Anderson will have missed six of england’s last 18 Tests through injury.
He has spoken of continuing until he is 37, which would mean one last tilt against Australia in the home summer of 2019. The fact is, however, that nursing him through his mid-30s is proving tough enough. With Ben duckett set to open with Cook today, that paves the way for Gary Ballance to take his place in the middle order.