England Unlikely to Change Lineup For 2nd Ashes Test Despite Defeat: James Anderson

James Anderson believed England should retain their playing eleven despite a heavy first-Test loss to Australia.

England is expected to keep the same team for the second Ashes Test in Brisbane. This comes despite a heavy defeat within two days in the series opener in Perth.

In the first match, England’s pace-heavy attack bowled out Australia for 132 in the first innings. Skipper Ben Stokes took five wickets. However, Australia’s Travis Head then scored a century in the second innings. This led to an eight-wicket victory for the hosts, chasing a target of 205.

England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, James Anderson, believes the initial strategy was correct. “The all-pace attack 100% worked in the first innings. We landed a few blows,” Anderson said on the BBC’s Tailenders podcast.

Do England Need A Spinner?

Anderson suggested the bowling became predictable as the game went on. He noted the lack of a different option may have helped Australian batsmen like Head settle.

“I think that will be in their heads and I would not be surprised at all if we went with the same side. I just wonder whether we lack a nuance with a bit of something different and a change of pace, whether that is a spinner or a slightly different pacer,” he added.

He explained how a spinner could have broken the rhythm of the Australian batters. “Head knew they were bowling short, so he just sat on the back foot and hit his areas,” the 43-year-old said. “There was no frontline spinner to just bowl four overs and change the pace of the game and make it slightly different for Head and give him something else to think about.”

England has not won a Test series in Australia since 2010-11. The second day-night Test begins at Brisbane’s Gabba ground on December 4.