England made a strong comeback in the ongoing Ashes and have kept their hopes alive by winning the third Test of the five-match series at Headingley in Leeds. The fourth game between the two sides will now be played at Old Trafford in Manchester, which is also the home ground of England’s veteran pacer James Anderson. However, there’s uncertainty over the 40-year-old getting a chance in the Manchester Tests due to his poor form.
Anderson is currently going through a rough patch in his career and has managed to pick up just three wickets in four innings of the first two Ashes 2023 matches. As a result, he didn’t feature in the English team’s playing eleven for the third match at Headingley.
Although the fourth Test is on Anderson’s home ground, and there would be an inclination of the English management towards giving the experienced pacer a chance, the sensational performances of Mark Wood and Chris Woakes at the Headingley might force them to stick with the winning combination.
Anderson himself addressed the issue in a column for the Telegraph and wrote about the possibility of him getting a go by coach Brendon McCullum and skipper Ben Stokes at Old Trafford. The right-arm seamer wrote he knows he is not guaranteed to play in Manchester, and it will be fine with him if the team decides to go with the winning line-up from the previous match. Anderson also talked about his future plans in the column and hinted that it could be his last home game if he gets to play.
“Letting Jimmy Anderson bowl at the Jimmy Anderson End because it is a nice story will not be a thought in the heads of Ben Stokes or Brendon McCullum. I know I am not guaranteed to play the next Test and I will completely understand if they want to stick with the winning team. The selection side is out of my hands. I just make sure that I am in a good place and ready to play,” wrote Anderson.
“When you are at my stage of your career you never know when your last game at a certain ground is going to be. This could be my last Test at Old Trafford if I do play, who knows? I am not thinking about that. All I want to do is try to be involved with this team again and make an impact on the field and contribute towards an England win that would level the series,” he added.
