England star fast bowler James Anderson slammed the Edgbaston pitch for being unresponsive to pacers after Australia managed to win the first Test by two wickets. Anderson said that the lifeless pitch at Edgbaston was nothing less than a ‘kryptonite’ to him, and fears he will be powerless to help England bounce back in the tournament if the surfaces in the remainder of the series continue to remain flat and slow.
The legendary England bowler even went on to say that his Ashes career might be over if the surfaces in the remaining four Tests are the same. The 40-year-old right-arm seamer wrote in his Daily Telegraph column, "If all the pitches are like that I'm done in the Ashes series. That pitch was like kryptonite for me. There was not much swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, no bounce and no pace.”
Anderson acknowledged that he was below his best in the Ashes opener, as he managed to pick only one wicket after toiling hard for 38 overs, in both innings. England’s all-time highest wicket-taker wasn’t given the ball in the last hour of the match, and England captain Ben Stokes along with Joe Root bowled with the old ball before using Stuart Broad and Ollie Robinson with the new ball.
On this, Anderson wrote, “I didn’t take the new ball in the first innings or late on the final day. I had a chat with Ben Stokes about how I felt. We agreed it was the type of pitch the taller bowlers were getting more out of. I was completely on board with that.”
Anderson further wrote that he tried his best to achieve the desired results, but nothing made any difference. He is hopeful to make a comeback in the upcoming matches and contribute to the team's success in the remainder of the tournament.
“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. There was a bit of rustiness, but I gave it everything I could. I know I have more to offer and contribute to the team. I want to make up for it at Lord’s,” Anderson further wrote.
