Anderson Searches for Fitness and a New Role
Photo- Collected
|| Desk Report ||
After being side-lined through injury from the Ashes series, England’s new ball stalwart James Anderson has failed in his efforts to regain fitness in time for the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester. Even if he was able to shake off injury and play, his role within a dynamic bowling unit will be different in the future.
James Anderson was able to complete 20 overs of bowling initially without a recurrence of the calf injury that has prevented him from playing any meaningful part in the ongoing Ashes series in England. Anderson was bowling in a Lancashire second team game against Durham, achieving two wickets for 70 runs, on the face of it they are unremarkable figures but they almost represented a significant step for Anderson in his quest for being selected in the Fourth Ashes Test, which begins next week. However after the game ended, Anderson once again experienced a calf strain that has ended participation in the Ashes.
The 37 year old was itching to line up against arch rivals, Australia, more so because they will be playing at his home ground, Old Trafford, Manchester, a ground which he has been familiar with since childhood. As he enters the final phase of a distinguished career, it’s unlikely that England’s record wicket taker will have many more opportunities to perform in front of his adoring home supporters. Although he won’t admit it, Anderson must also be carrying a modicum of guilt for the way he declared himself fit for the First Test, only to break down with injury after a handful of overs. A sense of letting his teammates down acted as extra incentive in his forlorn drive to prove his fitness.
In an era of fast bowler burn out, Anderson’s longevity as an opening bowler is something to admire, his strict diet and gym regime has allowed him to retain an athletic physique and stay injury free for the majority of his career. A career which boasts a staggering 575 wickets in 149 Test matches speaks for itself, Anderson is now the world leading wicket taker amongst fast bowlers after surpassing Glen McGrath (563 wickets). However, despite all of these achievements and the accolades he’s received, if he returns to the England dressing room in the future, the emergence of England’s new fast bowling hero, Joffra Archer, will force him to reassess his role within the bowling unit.
While it’s disingenuous to say that England haven’t missed Anderson’s services while he’s been away, it would be fair to say that the rapid rise of Archer has meant that Anderson’s absence has not been fatal to England’s chances of regaining the Ashes. Archer’s abundant natural talent has masked his inexperience at Test level, the impact he made at Headingley with his first innings wickets, is unmatched in modern times. Stuart Broad has also taken on the extra responsibility of being the most senior bowler in his stride, showing maturity and leadership when needed, as well as bowling faster than in the previous 12 months. The dependable Woakes and talisman Ben Stokes, complete an impressive pace quartet which England will disrupt if Anderson is to re-enter the England set up.
If Anderson was to displace one of the four fast bowlers from the Third Test for the Old Trafford game, Woakes would be the most likely to make way unless the pitch is seam friendly, in which case the temptation would be to leave out the specialist spinner, Jack Leach. Whatever the England selectors choose to do, the best way for Anderson to remain injury and to elongate his career would be to consider becoming a first change bowler, bowling shorter spells. Although Anderson is unlikely to agree with this new role, it’s a logical progression for him; his mastery of swing in English conditions means that even if the ball is 10-15 overs old, he will still be able to take wickets. It would also allow Broad and Archer to continue their successful new ball partnership from the Headingley Test and pose bastmen around the world major headaches even after the new ball bowling spells have been negotiated. The biggest obstacle to this happening is Anderson himself, his obduracy is clearly an asset when it comes to bowling disciplined lengths and lines but for the good of the team a degree of flexibility is always needed. It remains to be seen if the England selectors and Joe Root have the determination to successfully sell the vision of a new future to England’s best ever swing bowler.
