Ashes 2023: “I am done if all pitches are like that”- James Anderson compares Edgbaston surface to kryptonite

Anderson recorded match figures of 1-109 on his return in Edgbaston.

By Jatin Sharma - 23 Jun, 2023

All-time leading Test wicket-taker for England, James Anderson has said that the Edgbaston pitch for the first Ashes 2023 Test against Australia was like kryptonite and that he was done if all pitches would be like that going forward in the series.

England captain Ben Stokes had asked for "flat, fast wickets" for the series, but the Edgbaston pitch was anything but. Pacer Stuart Broad described it as "soulless" and one of the slowest he had encountered in England.

England lost the first Test by 2 wickets as their Bazball way of cricket found a match in Australia’s resilience to wear it out and captain Pat Cummins, with the bat, helped his side go 1-0 up in the five-Test series.

"If all of the pitches are like that, I'm done with the Ashes series. That pitch was kryptonite to me. There was very little swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, bounce, or pace.

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 wrote in Daily Telegraph.

Ashes 2023: “Definitely learned my lesson”- Ollie Robinson on his spat with Usman Khawaja; reveals opener’s advice to him

England started well by declaring on 393/8 on day one with Joe Root top-scoring with 118* and Australia replied with 386 runs with Usman Khawaja making 141. England then posted 273 runs in the second innings, setting a 281-run target for Australia.

Khawaja made a half-century, but it was the 55-run ninth-wicket partnership between captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon, which took the visitors to the win.

"After day four (coach) Brendon McCullum said we had won already regardless of the result because of the reaction from people about the way we played, and the fact we had stuck to our style. It feels like the way we are playing is working. We know we want to win, and we will be judged on the result, but as a team, it is good that we are judging ourselves on our performance,” Anderson added.

England and Australia will clash in the second Test at Lord’s from June 28.

By Jatin Sharma - 23 Jun, 2023

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