London, July 23: While the doubt over Andrew Flintoff’s fitness
still persists, paceman James Anderson is confident that he will have the all-rounder alongside him in the attack when England get down to extend its lead in the third Ashes Test.
Flintoff produced a sparkling performance at Lord’s as England took a 1-0 lead in their five-match series against Australia earlier this week. However, the all-rounder was troubled by a knee injury throughout the match and there is a doubt over his fitness for the next match at Edgbaston.
”Obviously Fred performed fantastically well this week with a knee injury and if he is able to bowl 90mph with this injury I think he’ll play. But it’s obviously down to Fred, if he thinks he can get through the three Tests we have got left.
”If he thinks it is maybe going to put him out of the last two he may miss the next one, but we have got a week’s rest now so hopefully he can put his feet up and be fit for a week on Thursday,” Anderson told BBC Radio Five Live.
Anderson, too came up with an impressive display at Lord’s but it was his resilient innings at Cardiff that ensured England went in the second Test at level with him.
”We did fantastically well at Cardiff to get anything out of the game,” Anderson added. ”We didn’t want to waste the good work we did at Cardiff by not performing well at Lord’s.
”I think it probably spurred us on, the draw at Cardiff. We are obviously in a fantastic position in the series now and hopefully we can kick on,” he said.
The seamer also insisted that he and Monty Panesar did not indulge in any time-wasting tactics during their heroic last-wicket partnership in the Cardiff to save the Test.
”There was a lot confusion. The 12th man did actually spill some drink on my glove and had to come out again. The physio thought I was calling for him and came out as well.
”The Australians are obviously going to think I was time-wasting but it was all pretty innocent,” he insisted.
—-Agencies