England pace bowler James Anderson has cited India winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2-1 earlier this year as an example to raise the morale of the tourists ahead of the second Ashes Test beginning at the Adelaide Oval on Thursday.
England are 0-1 down in the five-Test series, having lost the Brisbane Test by nine wickets.
“India were bowled out for 36 and came back and won the series so we know it is doable. Hard work starts now trying to turn things around and correct the mistakes we made with the bat,” wrote Anderson in his column for The Telegraph on Wednesday.
“We know we did not perform well in Brisbane but for those at home thinking ‘here we go again’, I can only say it will be different this time. We have a potentially better team than the sides that have travelled to Australia in recent times. We have a more solid group, we know what we are trying to achieve. Everyone knows their role in the side and we know Australia are beatable,” added Anderson.
The 39-year-old expressed his disappointment at not playing the first Test.
“It was very disappointing not to play the first Test. My fingers were twitching when I saw the pitch. It was underprepared. The initial thought as a seamer is you would love to play on that. Stuart Broad was the same, desperate to play but it didn’t happen.
“I had never seen a pitch like that in Brisbane. Normally, you never see a blade of grass there but last week it was green, it looked like a traditional county pitch to be honest. One of the commentators came up and said it looks like a Shield wicket rather than a Test pitch at the Gabba.”
Anderson added that there was no point talking about the uncontrollables as he and Broad worked hard in the nets to prepare for the Adelaide Test.
“But I have learned to see the bigger picture now. The same for Stuart Broad. We know from experience that there is no point in moping around and not pulling our weight.
“There was a bit of chat between us about the pitch and how much we would have enjoyed bowling on it but it was all irrelevant. It was stuff we could not control and pointless talking about it after a while. Instead, we bowled long periods in the nets at the Gabba with the pink ball and I am definitely ready this week and fully prepared for Test match bowling,” added Anderson.
Meanwhile, England on Wednesday named a 12-player squad for the second Ashes Test match (D/N) at the Adelaide Oval.
Lancashire seamer Anderson has been included in the squad after missing the first Test in Brisbane. Stuart Broad has also been named in the England XII ahead of the second Test.
Our 12-strong squad for the second Ashes Test starting tomorrow #Ashes | #AUSvENG
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) December 15, 2021
Anderson, 39, the highest wicket-taker in the world among pace bowlers, was not in the 12-player squad for the opening Test at The Gabba (Brisbane), which the tourists lost by nine wickets.
Both Stuart Broad and Anderson have since indicated that they were disappointed with their exclusion. Broad was in the 12-player squad for The Gabba Test but was excluded from the Playing XI.
With Broad and his senior partner Anderson now in the 12-player squad, either or both could be in the Playing XI for the pink-ball Test.
Pacer Mark Wood was, however, rested for the pink-ball Test.
England Men’s Squad for second Ashes Test: Joe Root (c), Jimmy Anderson, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Haseeb Hameed, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.
