Vaibhav Tripathi
England’s leading wicket-taker in Test cricket, James Anderson, has voiced his frustration with the Edgbaston pitch during the first Ashes Test. Anderson described the pitch as unfavourable for fast bowlers, comparing it to “kryptonite” for him. He expressed concerns about his effectiveness in the remaining four games if the conditions continue to offer minimal assistance.
Anderson’s performance in the first Test was underwhelming, with figures of 1-109 in 38 overs. Among England’s main seamers, Anderson bowled the fewest overs, and his economy rate exceeded three in the second innings.
“That pitch was like kryptonite for me. There was not much swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, no bounce and no pace. I’ve tried over the years to hone my skills so I can bowl in any conditions but everything I tried made no difference.
“I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle. It’s a long series and hopefully, I can contribute at some point, but if all the pitches are like that I’m done in the Ashes series,” Anderson wrote in his column for The Telegraph.