England paceman James Anderson (AP Image)
Anderson further admitted that he was not at his best in the first Test and needs to offer more to the team in the remaining matches.
Veteran England paceman James Anderson opened up on his below-par performance in the opening Test match against Australia in the ongoing Ashes Test series. With no swing on offer at Edgbaston, Anderson claimed just one wicket in the series opener. England lost the match by two wickets as their most experienced pacer failed to shine and ended up wicketless.
Talking about the flat track at Edgbaston, Anderson said that even taking a wicket on such a surface brings out a bit more emotion in the middle.
“This is an Ashes series. It is a big deal,” Anderson wrote in his column in The Telegraph. “When you play on a flat pitch like the one at Edgbaston and take a wicket, a bit more emotion does come out because you have worked extra hard for it.”
The 40-year-old said that Edgbaston pitch was a kryptonite for him as there was no assistance for the pacer and it was like fighting an uphill battle for him.
“That pitch was like kryptonite for me. There was not much swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, no bounce and no pace. 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. 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,” he wrote further.
Anderson further admitted that he was not at his best in the first Test and needs to offer more to the team in the remaining matches.
“There was a bit of rustiness but I gave it everything I could,” he said. “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. 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,” he added.
