Will James Anderson play in second 2019 Ashes Test: There are serious concerned over the veteran England fast bowler’s fitness.
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Veteran England fast bowler James Anderson has been ruled out of the upcoming second Test of the ongoing 2019 Ashes series between England and Australia. The development coming a day after England lost the first Test by a significant margin is a big blow for the home team.
Anderson, who was included into the English Playing XI for the first match, ended up walking off the field after bowling just four overs. While he briefly returned to the field on the first day and batted in both the innings, he didn’t take any further part as a bowler.
Will James Anderson play in second 2019 Ashes Test
The MRI scans show that Anderson’s injury needs attention. Therefore, the 37-year old pacer will undergo rehabilitation program alongside the English medical team.
Anderson’s injury dates back to the county match for Lancashire last month. It was the same injury which kept him out of the one-off Test against Ireland.
While he has been ruled out of the second Test, there is no confirmation regarding his participation in the third or the subsequent Tests of the series. While the second Test will begin on August 14, the third one will begin on August 22 in Leeds.
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Being asked about the decision to play Anderson in the first Test during the post-match presentation ceremony after losing the match, England captain Joe Root termed it as a “group decision”.
“It was a group decision in terms of the selection of him. He passed all the fitness tests. and it’s just one of those freak things that can happen in in cricket. It’s disappointing, but we’ve got to try and respond to that and make sure that we get things exactly how we want them at Lord’s,” Root was quoted as saying.
