3 reasons why England dropping James Anderson for 1st Test vs India is the wrong move
England made a brave call by naming a solitary pacer in the form of Mark Wood in their playing XI for the first Test against India. Expecting a rank turner, the visitors named three frontline spinners in the form of Rehan Ahmed, Jack Leach, and Tom Hartley. With England also naming Ben Foakes as a specialist wicketkeeper, there was no place for veteran James Anderson in the playing XI.
Anderson was included in the squad for the India tour along with other pace bowlers Mark Wood and Ollie Robinson. The veteran pacer was last seen in the Ashes, where he endured a horrid series, claiming only four wickets in total at an average of 85.40.
There might be a chance for Anderson to feature at some point in the series, given that it is a five-match affair. However, his absence from the series opener came across as a huge surprise for fans and pundits alike.
On that note, let us take a look at three reasons why England dropping James Anderson for the first Test vs India is the wrong move.
#1 Could have been a good exponent of reverse swing in abrasive conditions
While there is only a little on offer for seamers in India with the new ball, they can have a serious say with the old ball. As opposed to the minimal movement with the brand new ball at the start of the innings, the pacers can inflict some damage with the aged, worn-out ball in the form of reverse swing.
Additionally, the ball tends to wear out rather quickly due to the abrasive nature of the subcontinent surface, which would have brought Anderson into the game, in addition to Wood's pace as the X-Factor.
Anderson has shown that he can operate in Asian conditions without a cloud cover or a green covering on the pitch. The veteran pacer put on an excellent exhibition of reverse swing bowling during his previous tour of India in 2021 as well as the away series against Pakistan in 2022.
#2 James Anderson has an excellent record in the subcontinent
James Anderson is known for his dominant record on home soil, which is tailor-made for his style of swing bowling. However, he has also managed to mark his presence on the challenging subcontinent tours over the course of his long career.
He was instrumental in England's historic series win in India during the 2012 tour, which remains the Men in Blue's last red-ball series defeat on home soil. In England's 2-1 series win, the veteran claimed 12 wickets at an average of 30.25. He claimed six wickets in the third Test in Kolkata, which gave England the series lead.
In his first-ever Test in India, Anderson ended up with four wickets in his very first innings, even picking up Sachin Tendulkar's wicket. Anderson has toured India five times before, and while he has not played all the matches on tour, he has done enough to mark his presence and warrant a selection in the playing XI.
Overall, in 13 Test appearances in India, James Anderson has picked up 34 wickets at an average of 29.32 and an economy rate of 2.65.
#3 England already had a credible third spinner candidate in Joe Root
The primary reason behind James Anderson's absence is the fact that England wanted to include three frontline spinners in the playing XI. Despite having Joe Root as a fairly accomplished spinner, especially in these conditions, England proceeded to name all of the tweakers available at their disposal.
Two of the three frontline spinners in the playing XI are rather inexperienced. Furthermore, two of them are also left-arm finger spinners of a similar profile, with the major difference between them being the release point and the experience factor.
While India also have named three spinners in their lineup, the major difference is the fact that all of them are well-versed with the bat, which gives them the luxury of playing two seamers, which England would have ideally liked as well. It is to be noted that Ben Stokes will not be bowling as he recently underwent knee surgery.
Will James Anderson feature in the remainder of the series? Let us know what you think.