5th Ashes Test: James Anderson the greatest pacer, proclaims Ben Stokes after his inclusion in England XI

On Wednesday (July 26), England named an unchanged XI for the fifth and final Test of Ashes 2023. Ben Stokes & Co. will take on the Australian line-up in the Ashes decider, which gets underway on Thursday (July 27), with an aim to level the series 2-2. After a drawn encounter in Manchester, where England were closing a likely win, the home side have backed the same XI for the series finale.

With the same XI, James Anderson has managed to retain his spot despite an ordinary run in the ongoing series. So far, the wily 42-year-old pacer has featured in three Tests and accounted for only four scalps. He has never looked threatening and has not produced any moment of brilliance he is often known for. Despite all this, Stokes-led England team management has backed him for the decider at The Oval, London.

Speaking to the reporters after Anderson's inclusion, Stokes said, "Jimmy Anderson is the greatest fast bowler to play the game. He’s not had the impact and the wickets he’d have liked to in this series, he’s come under a bit of flak, but he’s a quality performer."

England missed a golden opportunity to level the series at Old Trafford, Manchester when the final day's play of the fourth and penultimate Test got washed out with relentless rain. At that time, England were just five wickets away from wrapping up Australia's second innings with Pat Cummins & Co. trailing by 61 runs.

Despite the Manchester draw, England will feel confident going into the series decider having shown solid fightin the last two encounters. Meanwhile, Cummins-led Aussies will step into the final Test in search of their first Ashes glory in England since 2001.

Will Anderson play a fitting role for England in the fifth Test? Only time will tell...

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