England’s three quality pacers were struck by injury this week.
James Anderson struggled with a calf injury that put a question mark over his participation in the remaining Ashes Test Series.
Anderson bowled just the four overs on day one of the 1st Test Match in Birmingham before being sent for a medical scanning of his right calf.
But despite the injury, he was spotted jogging slowly at Edgbaston on Friday. He also practiced some amount of batting, indicating that he may bat and might even bowl later on in the Edgbaston Test.
“Jimmy will be working desperately hard on ice and rehab,” James teammate and fast bowler, Stuart Broad told Sky Sports.
“He said to me last night there’s a chance he might bowl second innings. If the scan comes back and there’s no major mark on it, he will strap it up and go.”
“One thing we know about Jimmy is that if there’s a chance of him bowling, he will,” he added.
Meanwhile, Archer bowled four overs and scalped a wicket in Sussex’s T20 victory over Kent on Friday night. He will also play in a three-day game for Sussex’s second XI to recover for his debut in the second Test at Lord’s.
The second XI game, beginning on Tuesday, will be Archer’s first red-ball match in almost a year. Prior to this, the pacer focused on only white-ball cricket, thus emerging with flying colors in the World Cup.
The young fast bowler was a part of England’s squad for the 1st Test but was ruled out of the final XI to give him a chance to regain fitness after a side strain.
Another key pacer for England, Mark Wood was already set to miss the first three Ashes Tests due to a left side strain.
On Friday, England announced that Wood was ruled out for the rest of the Ashes because of a knee problem and a persistent ankle injury.
“England fast bowler Mark Wood has had left knee surgery to address an injury sustained during the ICC Cricket World Cup,” revealed a team statement.
“The Durham player will continue rehabilitation for this and the left side strain that he sustained in the World Cup final.”
“As a result of these injuries, he will be unavailable for any cricket for the remainder of the season.”
Wood’s last Test appearance was during a consolation win over the West Indies earlier this year.
Stuart Broad and Chris Woakes impressed immensely with their clinical bowling at Edgbaston. Left-armer Sam Curran and new boy Olly Stone could get a call-up in case Anderson and Archer are not fit for the Lord’s Test.
