England too have fitness worries, but pace spearhead James Anderson says they will make full use of the time in hand to be fine for Friday's battle
England too have fitness worries, but pace spearhead James Anderson says they will make full use of the time in hand to be fine for Friday's battleEven the Englishmen are feeling the load. Ask their pace spearhead James Anderson whether there are no aches, pains and bruises and he will admit that the bowling arsenal sure has them considering the amount of bowling the pacemen have done in the Lord's Test.
England's James Anderson during the Lord's Test. Pic/Getty ImagesThe pack bowled 139 overs in the opening game out of which Anderson sent down 51.3 overs. The pundits watching the Indian team train felt the visitors' body language wasn't all that good. If one can gauge anything from body language, Anderson was not exactly jumping in the air with excitement while talking about Friday's second Test battle at Trentu00a0 Bridge. He appeared as if someone had pulled him out of bed early to address the media. And though he had his England shirt, he wore jeans.
The Englishmen will be better oiled before Friday and so will the Indians, Zaheer Khan's imminent absence notwithstanding. Forget the Lord's Test and it's even stevens. Anderson is well aware of that and talked about how the Lord's win has to be left behind.
"We enjoyed it on the last day (of the Test). But that is gone. We are concentrating on Friday morning... that first hour and then if we play good cricket every session, we will then have a winning outcome," said Anderson.
His opening partner Tim Tremlett has been laid low with a hamstring worry. "When you bowl 50 overs in the week, you will suffer from aches and pains but it is all part of being a bowler and I will use the next couple of days to get over that," said Anderson, who claimed seven wickets at Lord's.
31 wickets against India and has dismissed Sachin Tendulkar six times in seven Tests.
He has enjoyed great success at Trent Bridge -- 28 wickets. A tabloid journalist asked him whether he would put that down to because the ball swings at the venue. And Anderson said: "Yes, just because it swings."
Several believed he was being sarcastic, but he went on to put things in perspective. "It generally does swing here but we can't go into the game expecting it to swing so we will prepare as if it is not going to (swing). And if it does, then it will benefit us on Friday," he said. Anderson doesn't believe in making comments that will make headlines. His lines are restricted to 22 yards.u00a0
