Anderson: I’m raring to get into the swing
JAMES ANDERSON says he is fit and as fired up as ever to get England back into this Ashes series in the day-night Test that starts in Adelaide tomorrow.
The prospect of Anderson, England’s all-time leading bowler with 508 Test wickets, swinging the ball around corners under the lights here is a tantalising one for the tourists, who know victory in this second Test is non-negotiable if they are to get back in this series.
Anderson, 35, bowled beautifully in Brisbane and says he was stung by the 10-wicket defeat that put Joe Root’s team 1-0 down with four Tests to play.
But with temperatures in Adelaide set to drop to around 20 degrees Celsius for all five days and the floodlights promising plenty of lateral movement for the bowlers, Anderson looks primed to inflict some serious damage on Australia in what will feel like English conditions.
“We were very frustrated with the way the game finished in Brisbane but we played some really good cricket, started really well in the first three days, getting our noses in front at times and just not being able to capitalise, so that’s why it’s frustrating for us,” he said.
“But looking ahead to this game, it’s something we can really build on, that extra fire or whatever it might be. Being 1-0 down we know how important this game is for us.”
Anderson was devastating with the pink Kookaburra ball during England’s warm-up game at the Adelaide Oval in early November, with all of his five wickets coming when the floodlights were on.
Chris Woakes was also dangerous, taking six wickets in the match – again almost all exclusively coming under the lights.
Anderson said: “We played a warm-up game here with a pink ball and it was pretty good conditions for bowlers. I’m not sure if the pitch will be similar to that, which was a very slow wicket, not dissimilar to the Brisbane pitch.
“I’ve heard this is going to be different, but we will have to wait and see what we get on Saturday. People think it’s going to be a good week for the bowlers but you’ve still got to bowl well even when conditions are in your favour.
“I think the encouraging thing for us is that we came up with plans for all their batsmen before the series started and probably 70 per cent of them worked and we can build on that.”
There were concerns over Anderson’s fitness on the third day in Brisbane, with Root failing to use him when Australia’s tail was exposed. But he has no injury concerns whatsoever, with Root later admitting he made a big error in holding the leader of his attack back at a crucial stage of the match.
“I’ve been absolutely fine through the week,” said Anderson. “I got hit on the shoulder while I was batting but apart from a little bruise, nothing serious, nothing that’s going to stop me playing. I’m not sure where that story came from.”