(UTV | ENGLAND) – James Anderson to miss Ashes opener against Australia at the Gabba
James Anderson will miss the opening Test against Australia at the Gabba as England look to manage the workload of the 39-year-old pace bowler. The board plans to get him ready for the pink-ball Test in Adelaide that begins just four days after the end of the first fixture. “Jimmy is fit to play, and is not carrying an injury. With five Tests in six weeks the plan was to get him ready for the second Test in Adelaide,” an ECB statement said. The decision has been taken with the view of not risking Anderson considering the limited build-up the teams have had in the lead-up to the fixture. In the 2019 Ashes, Anderson ended up bowling only four overs in the first Test at Edgbaston before a calf problem ruled him out of the rest of the Test series.
“With the limited build-up we have had so far on the tour, both him and the management didn’t want to take the risk of him playing after what had happened in 2019 at Edgbaston, when he broke down on the first morning,” the statement added. “He bowled at full capavity yesterday for just short of an hour and was in a good place physically. He will do the same again today at practice. He will stay with the Test group this week and work with the coaches at the Gabba rather than playing for the Lions.”
Anderson has bagged 60 wickets at an average of 35.43 in Australia. He did play a key role in England’s last series win in Australia in 2010-11 when he bagged 24 wickets at 26.04. He also was England’s leading wicket-taker in the Ashes 2017-18 in Australia when he picked 17 wickets at 27.82. Anderson was set to become the third cricketer from a visiting team to play five Tests at the Gabba, after Courtney Walsh and Daniel Vettori. With Anderson missing the opening Test, “Chris Woakes” and “Stuart Broad” are the two pace bowling options.