James Anderson bowled again in Lord's net during the Test against Ireland after overcoming a groin injury. Photo: Alex Davidson. /Getty Images
In virtually seven years, and after a 3-2 home win in 2015, there were two unsuccessful tours of Australia (8-0 to the Australians on aggregate) and a draw in 2019 when Anderson limped . four overs in the first test and didn't play again.
The Ashes has a lot of unfinished business even after all these years, and throughout the series, Anderson will share his thoughts exclusively with Telegraph Sport.
First, does he think Australia will try to outplay baseball? “Whenever I play against Australia they try to play fire with fire. They come back to you even stronger.” Usually this ends with the retreat of England, perhaps not this time. “My guess is that Ben will want to work even harder. He'll want to be more positive, more aggressive and really bring that to Australia.»
Anderson and Stuart Broad take it as a compliment, as a sign of respect, that they are often the target of abuse in Australia because they always target the biggest threat. On the field, Anderson was told to brace himself for Michael Clarke's «damn broken arm»; Anderson himself hasn't been shy about sharing his views on the field with the Aussies.
Stuart Broad and James Anderson transformed their approach after a year of Bazball. Photo: Andrew Kornaga/Photosport via AP
When he captained New Zealand, Brandon McCallum banned his team from sledding. They were good guys from Test cricket. England had little to no action on the pitch under Stokes' captaincy. Perhaps in these days of the franchise, opposing cricketers know each other much better.
Anderson and Broad are a throwback to the old days. They do not play franchise cricket and have no friends in the Australian national team. Both are worried that friendliness might get the better of Ash's cricket. “I just like not knowing them away from cricket, not being friends with them. I just like seeing them as opponents and really trying to get into a fight with them. I don't think it's happened yet, but the amount of cricket played in franchised cricket with a mix of nationalities could, in the future, take the edge off the spark you get at Ashes.»
«There was a time.» sledding was good for me as a player'
Anderson says there was no gag order. England simply did not consider it necessary. He also says that he no longer needs it for motivation (we'll see how long it lasts). “There was a time when it really benefited me as a player. This brought me to battle. I feel like it got the best out of me at times. At the moment I believe in the team and what we want to do. If it doesn't do any good for the team, then I'll be glad to just keep my head down and go bowling.»
Stokes is Anderson's eighth captain for England, McCallum is his sixth head coach. He believes they recreated the clarity of direction that the team under Andrew Strauss and Andy Flower had that took them to the top spot in the world, but it's implemented in a very different way. Gone are the days of a bowler scolding a batsman for a bad shot. Everyone bought into the new methods, partly because they're all a little scared of Stokes, but mostly they don't want to be abandoned and left to watch from the sidelines rather than participate in the fun.
“The great thing about both of them is the laid-back approach to everything, be it selection or injury. A captain and coach that gets hung up on team selection, pitches and stuff like that has a domino effect so their behavior really permeates the team and makes everyone else feel comfortable.
Ben Stokes brought the fun back into England's approach. Photo: AP Photo/Anjum Navid
“I really enjoyed this environment, I had fun in training, fiddling with different things in training. I remember in practice we had at the Oval last summer, Ben and I fiddled around in the middle, trying different angles for our runs and trying to swing the ball more than the other. Just have fun.»
In 10 tests of the baseball era, Anderson took 45 wickets for only 17 each. Despite a bolder bowling game, his savings rate is lower than his career overall and his wickets per wicket also dropped from 55.9 to 42.1. “They want us to attack, take wickets and try different things that we might not have in our arsenal. It's just constant thoughts about how you're going to get the dough out.»
«I don't want to drag this out.»
What's next? Anderson did not give a retirement date, or if he does, he has not made it public. England have a six-month break from test cricket after the Ashes before their tour of India in the new year. It's a nice break ahead of the home summer of 2024 when they play Sri Lanka and the West Indies, but it should be over soon.
«I don't want to drag this out and people think, 'Can you just make one.' I would like to be able to leave on a good note. Morgs woke up last year and just knew it was time to wrap up. I just hope so. I feel privileged to be in a position where I can make decisions because as a bowler it usually gets out of your hands through injury or tackle. It will be nice to leave on my terms, but when it does, you'll just have to wait and see.»
Anderson started a new life. His popular podcast Tailenders with the BBC, along with Greg James and musician Felix White, gave the public a different perspective on his dry sense of humor and ability to explain a complex sport in simple terms. He admits it helps him get a beer before going on air or on stage. Even Baseball hasn't reached that level of relaxation.
More poignant is the question of whether he is a good fit for Edgbaston after a groin injury sustained in his final Championship match for Lancashire forced him to miss the Ireland test. Four years ago, he said he was ready to play in the first match of the Edgbaston Ashes, but broke down and apologized to all his teammates in the dressing room. “I felt like I let the guys down. Unfortunately, this can happen.» He is sure that there will be no repetition. “This time the injury is not so serious. I had more time to rest, recover and gain strength. I'll have to be honest about how I feel.»
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