Ashes 2023 - 'If this continues...': James Anderson slams lifeless Edgbaston pitch

Veteran England seamer James Anderson was left disappointed with Edgbaston's pitch and said if curators continue to prepare similar surfaces for the games to continue, he is done with this Ashes. Following a two-wicket loss at the hands of Australia in the first Test, Anderson slammed the lifeless surface, saying the pitch had nothing for the bowlers.

"If all the pitches are like that, I'm done in the Ashes series," Anderson wrote in his Daily Telegraph column. "That pitch was like kryptonite for me. There was not much swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, no bounce, and no pace."

In one of the rare moments in Tests in England, Anderson neither started the innings nor did he bowl with the new ball during the fag end on the final day, when Cummins and Lyon walked away with the win. Upset over the change in routine for him, Anderson added he even approached captain Ben Stokes over the same and sought clarity.

“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 wrote.

The legendary seamer, who is 14 shy of his 700th Test wicket,a first for a fast bowler in the format's history, admitted not being on top of his game in the first Test.

“I know I wasn’t on top of my game this week. It was not my best performance," the veteran seamer added.

'You can't pick wickets everywhere'

Though Anderson doesn't need to prove himself, the English pacer accepts trying to hone his skills for all conditions over the years.But with time, he realised that one bowler can't take wickets in every game. In the first Test, Anderson picked just one wicket across two innings.

“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 in every game. Sometimes it is not your week. It felt like that for me," Anderson also wrote.

Following the first Test result, England might tweak the Playing XI, with Anderson likely to retain his place. Latest reports from the English camp suggest Mark Wood could replace spinner Moeen Ali for the Lord's Test, which starts next Wednesday, June 28.

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