England pacer James Anderson took inspiration from Joe Root to play a reverse sweep on his first delivery in the first test of the 2023 Ashes series at The Edgbaston in Birmingham. He played a decent hand in the second innings, as England scored 273 runs in their second innings.
James Anderson came out to bat at number 11 after the fall of Ollie Robinson’s wicket in the sixty-second over. He played a reverse sweep from his arsenal off the very first delivery he faced in the innings. The ball raced away to the boundary for a four. Anderson scored 12 runs, before getting dismissed to Pat Cummins. Speaking to BBC Sport before the start of play on Day 5, Anderson said,
“He did mention it before we went out but we weren’t sure he would do it. It gave the dressing room confidence and lightened the mood. It also sent a message to the opposition that we would be on the front foot. That’s what we have done for 12 months now and it’s great to see.”
“I took inspiration from Joe so I reverse-swept my first ball. Even Stuart Broad’s been asking me for tips on how to reverse sweep! Strange he’s chosen a number 11 rather than the guys who have 10,000 Test runs,” he added.
It’s so much fun to be around this group: James Anderson
Veteran England pacer James Anderson further expressed that it’s fun to be part of the team. He added that they have adopted an aggressive approach in Test cricket, taking the game to the opposition. England put on 393 runs on the board on the first day of the Ashes test and declared the innings. They need seven wickets on the final day to secure a win, while Australia needs 174 runs.
“It’s great to be around this group because it’s so much fun. We are trying different things in training and doing it out to the middle in matches. We are trying to be aggressive and take the game to the opposition. Hopefully, we can keep doing it today,” said James Anderson.
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