Ashes 2019: 3 Players who can replace James Anderson at the Lord's Test
The great James Anderson will not be playing the second Ashes Test at Lord's starting from 14th August. Anderson has had issues with calf injuries over the years, and during the first day's play at Edgbaston, he had a niggle which didn't let him bowl further.
The 37-year-old had torn his calf muscle while bowling for Lancashire in early July this year. Although, he did pass the fitness tests in the lead-up to the first Ashes Test, Anderson's absence in the bowling line-up was felt by England, who lost to Australia by a huge margin of 251 runs, despite having them at 122/8 at one stage in the first innings.
The England Cricket Board will assume that Anderson will be ready for the final three games. There are not a lot of people who can fill Anderson's shoes, but here are three players who can replace the pacer in the playing XI for the Lord's Test.
#3 Jack Leach
Unpopular option, but the way the ball was turning and gripping from Day 3 on the Edgbaston track would've delighted any spinner. Unfortunately, Moeen Ali wasn't able to deliver what Nathan Lyon did for his side. So, this time England might go out with two spinners to test Australia's batting unit.
Jack Leach is a decent player. He does not get the ball to turn as much as Ali, but he's quite accurate with his line and lengths. It will be interesting to see how Steve Smith plays him. Smith is not at his best while facing left-arm spin, averaging just over 35.
Leach made his Test debut against New Zealand in Christchurch in 2018, and since then, he has played 5 Tests and has picked up 20 scalps at an average of 26.60, with his best figures being 5/83. Leach is also handy with the bat as he recently scored 92 against Ireland while opening the batting for England.
Also read – Ashes Winners List