"I'll keep my fingers crossed" - England's James Anderson hopeful of being fit for rescheduled fifth Test vs India
England's senior pacer James Anderson is confident of being fully fit for the side's impending rescheduled fifth Test against India, which begins on Friday, July 1. The bowler had to sit out the team's recently concluded third New Zealand Test due to concerns over his left ankle.
In his conversation with Sky Sports, James Anderson confirmed on Wednesday that he is hopeful of recovering in time for the crucial fixture against India. He stated that he doesn't like to miss matches.
He added that English players are pumped up after their decisive 3-0 series win over New Zealand. The 39-year-old pointed out that the atmosphere in the team is very good and he wants to be with the group as much as possible.
James Anderson said:
"I hate missing games. After that game at Headingley the feeling around the group is so good you want to be around it as much as possible. It was disappointing to miss the last game, seeing the guys out on the field having a good time and playing well. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I can get back in this week.
"The ankle feels pretty good and I've got a couple of days of practice to get through. If I can do that, hopefully I'm good for Friday. We'll see what happens."
Under the new leadership of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, England showcased a dominant brand of cricket against the Kiwis. They will be aiming to come up with a similar approach when they take on India as they look to save the five-match series.
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"I think we've shown what style of cricket we want to play under Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum" - James Anderson
The veteran seamer highlighted how with their recent performances, England have made it clear that they want to play some attacking cricket in the longer format. He opined that both Stokes and McCullum would not want to be complacent after a few wins and would strive to make continuous improvements within the team.
James Anderson mentioned that he is enjoying his cricket and relishing the opportunity to play with the current group of players. He said:
"We've started brilliantly, and I think we've shown what style of cricket we want to play under Ben [Stokes] and Brendon [McCullum].
"Having got to know those two and see them work together over the past few weeks, they'll want to build on that and not just settle for those performances. They'll want even better performances as we go, even more positive cricket, and I think that's really exciting."
He added:
"I certainly feel like I've got a smile on my face on the field a bit more than I normally have! It's just been so much fun playing with this group and the style of cricket that we have been playing."
England are set to take on India in the final rescheduled Test from July 1. The highly anticipated match is scheduled to be played at Edgbaston in Birmingham. The fixture is a must-win one for England as India currently lead the series by 2-1.