CRICKET: Veteran fast bowler James Anderson has vowed England would be “more positive, more aggressive, more entertaining” when they look to level the Ashes series at Lord’s this week.
England’s James Anderson in action during the first Test. Photo: AFP
Australia won the opening Test at Edgbaston on June 20 by two wickets after England skipper Ben Stokes had declared his team’s first innings at 393 for eight.
Some critics said that decision allowed Australia to keep a foot in the door of the match which they then gratefully exploited.
“I think we’ll go more positive, more aggressive, more entertaining,” said 40-year-old Anderson who endured a tough first Test in which he took just one wicket.
“We want to try and make sure people go home happy as they did each day at Edgbaston.”
He added: “Just because we’re 1-0 down I don’t think we’ll try anything different. I think we showed enough last week to show we can win the next four if we keep playing like that and iron a few things out. We’ll go exactly the same.”
Anderson was speaking at the London Stadium on Saturday (June 24) where he threw out the ceremonial first pitch in the baseball game between the Chicago Cubs and St Louis Cardinals.
Australia rival Nathan Lyon also shared the occasion.
Off-spinner Lyon said throwing the first pitch was the first time he had picked up a ball since leaving Birmingham.
“It was an absolutely incredible Test win and to be able to play a part in that was extremely special,” the 35-year-old said.
“It is going to go down as one of the best Test matches I’ve played in.
“The mood has changed. There’s a lot of work we need to do. We feel like we can still get a lot better, and we need to get a lot better if we want to compete against England and the brand of cricket they’re playing.”
England call up teenager Ahmed
Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that teenage leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed has been added to England’s squad for the second Ashes Test against Australia as cover for Moeen Ali.
Ahmed, 18, became the youngest man to play Test cricket for England when he was picked to play in Pakistan in December.
The Leicestershire player made an eye-catching debut for Ben Stokes’s side in Karachi, taking seven wickets in the match and 5-48 in the second innings.
But Ahmed has taken just six wickets in seven matches in the second division of the County Championship this season, at an average of more than 67.
Off-spinning all-rounder Moeen struggled with a finger blister in the dramatic first Test at Edgbaston
The 36-year-old, who was playing in his first Test for two years, still hopes to be fit for the second match of the five-game series at Lord’s, starting on Wednesday.
There is also the possibility that England will select a four-man seam attack augmented by Joe Root’s part-time spin.
The second Ashes Test starts on Wednesday (June 28) and concludes Sunday (July 2).
