James Anderson has torched the flat Edgbaston pitch, declaring he’s “done” if comparable surfaces are produced for the rest of the sequence.
England skipper Ben Stokes made it clear earlier than the Ashes that England wished flat pitches to assist execute their ultra-attacking ‘Bazball’ fashion.
But even he could have been shocked by simply how lifeless the primary Test pitch was.
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Writing in a column for the Telegraph within the UK, Anderson mentioned the observe was “like kryptonite for me”.
“There was not much swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, no bounce and no pace,” he wrote.
“I’ve tried over the years to hone my skills so I can bowl in any conditions but everything I tried made no difference. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle.
“There was a bit of rustiness but I gave it everything I could. Having played for a long time, I realise you can’t take wickets every game. Sometimes it is not your week. It felt like that for me.
“It’s a long series and hopefully I can contribute at some point, but if all the pitches are like that I’m done in the Ashes series.”
Anderson did admit he fell in need of his personal lofty expectations. He additionally revealed precisely why he was not thrown the second new ball late on the ultimate day with the sport coming all the way down to the wire.
“I know I wasn’t on top of my game this week. It was not my best performance. I know I have more to offer and contribute to the team. I want to make up for it at Lord’s and all I can do is turn up on Sunday and prepare to play,” he wrote.
“I didn’t take the new ball in the first innings or late on the final day. I had a chat with Ben Stokes about how I felt. We agreed it was the type of pitch the taller bowlers were getting more out of. I was completely on board with that.”
Anderson additionally defended the actions of fellow quick bowler Ollie Robinson who got here in for criticism for his expletive-laden send-off of first innings centurion Usman Khawaja.
The pair have been then concerned in one other trade on day 5, with Anderson enjoying the function of peacemaker.
Robinson was reportedly let off with a stern warning for the send-off, with the Sydney Morning Herald reporting match officers thought of Robinson’s send-off a “borderline case.”
According to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) code of conduct, any form of “send-off” is prohibited, together with “verbally abusing the dismissed batter.”
If a participant is charged and is discovered responsible, they are often fined as much as 50 per cent of their match payment.
Robinson has already made himself public enemy No. 1 in Australia for his response to the Khawaja wicket in addition to his remark concerning Australia’s tailenders.
The England bowler justified his send-off by claiming it was mentioned “in the heat of the moment” whereas additionally stating the bowling assault would have little bother clearing out the Aussies’ “three No. 11’s” within the tail.
“I don’t want Ollie to change,” Anderson wrote.
“I like him getting fired up. He bowls better when he is in that mood. From personal experience, I know I bowl better when I am a bit more aggressive and intense.”
“I stepped in to chat to Ollie when he and Usman were having an exchange of views in the second innings. It was gentle stuff, they were just talking cricket.
“Whenever I watched cricket as a kid I wanted to see bowlers fired up. It makes for better theatre and is a lot more enjoyable to watch. Everyone is just encouraged to be themselves in our team. Some people don’t like getting into a verbal battle. Some do. Robbo thrives on it.
Australian great Matthew Hayden, meanwhile, has become the latest to take aim at Robinson.
Speaking on SEN Radio, Hayden mocked Robinson’s lack of pace in a stunning take down.
“The other bloke, he’s a forgettable cricketer. A fast bowler that is bowling 124km/h nude nuts, and he’s got a mouth from the south,” Hayden mentioned.
“Someone like him, you can just go: ‘Brother, I’m coming at ya.’ Davey Warner can do that, right. He can just say: ‘You’re bowling 120.’”
Originally revealed as James Anderson warns he’s ‘done’ if Ashes pitches stay as flat as Edgbaston
Source: www.dailytelegraph.com.au
