James Anderson has admitted he's "done in the Ashes" if surfaces continue in the same vein as the one prepared at Edgbaston.
England tantalisingly lost by two wickets in a gripping Test match, with the Australian ninth wicket pair of Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon putting on 55 to get their side over the line in the final session on Tuesday. And notably, despite the hosts taking a second new ball in the closing stages, captain Ben Stokes did not opt to use his country's record wicket taker.
Anderson however, had by then endured an underwhelming Test by his own imperious standards. He took the wicket of Alex Carey in the first innings, but couldn't strike again thereafter as he finished with match figures of 1-109. Long time partner Stuart Broad, in contrast, finished with 6-132 over both innings.
And now the 40-year-old has made a candid confession over his struggles in Birmingham, whilst also lamenting a pitch seemingly prepared to favour the batters: "It’s a long series and hopefully I can contribute at some point, but if all the pitches are like that I’m done in the Ashes series.," he wrote in the Daily Telegraph.
"I know I wasn’t on top of my game this week. It was not my best performance. I know I have more to offer and contribute to the team. I want to make up for it at Lord’s and all I can do is turn up on Sunday and prepare to play."
The pitch appeared to play slowly over the five days, with Anderson in particular not getting the movement he's become notorious for. But he said he did attempt to adapt to the situation, and left nothing in the tank despite failing to exert true influence as the tourists seized the series initiative.
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"There was not much swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, no bounce and no pace," he added. "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. Having played for a long time, I realise you can’t take wickets every game. Sometimes it is not your week. It felt like that for me."
The second Test begins at Lord's on Wednesday, and the man with 685 wickets to his name is almost certain to play again as Stokes and co look to strike back. However, whether he has the durability to play all five games remains to seen, with England expected to manage his workload amid their bid to regain the urn.
