James Anderson returns on his Old Trafford home ground to lead an ageing England attack in a must-win fourth Ashes Test. It is the only change for Ben Stokes’s men, 2-1 down with two to play. England have dropped Ollie Robinson, who suffered a back spasm as the hosts won the third Test by three wickets at Headingley. Anderson is reinstated just a fortnight short of his 41st birthday for the match starting Wednesday.
Anderson’s 688 wickets are the most by any paceman in Test history. Only spinners Muttiah Muralitharan and Shane Warne are ahead of the Lancashire swing bowler. But Anderson managed just three wickets as England fell 2-0 behind. He is now, however, set to be the cornerstone of the oldest pace attack in an Ashes match since the Australia line-up of 1928.
That was the last time either side deployed four seamers aged 33 or above, with Stuart Broad (37), Chris Woakes (34) and express quick Mark Wood (33) joining Anderson in England’s seam-bowling quartet. England’s seasoned campaigners also include all-rounder Moeen Ali. Only a few weeks ago, Moeen was retired from Test cricket but an injury to frontline spinner Jack Leach led to his recall.
With Ollie Pope sidelined by a dislocated shoulder, Moeen finds himself in the key position of number three, with star batsman Joe Root preferring number four. Emerging talent Harry Brook made a decisive 75 at number five at Headingley. Australia have yet to name their XI as Pat Cummins bids to lead the world Test champions to their first Ashes series win in England since 2001.
Veteran opener David Warner twice fell cheaply at Headingley to Broad, who has dismissed the Australian opener 17 times in Test cricket. Warner and middle order mainstays, Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, have just one hundred and one fifty between them in 18 innings. At Headingley, Mitchell Marsh marked his first Test since 2019 with a fine hundred after replacing the injured, but now fit, Cameron Green.
Australia must decide if both all-rounders can play in the team. Josh Hazlewood is set to return after fellow paceman Scott Boland went wicketless at Headingley. England have won 13 of their last 16 Tests at Old Trafford, losing just once.
Source: News365
In other news – Kelly Khumalo Celebrates 100k Subscribers On YouTube
Kelly Khumalo expresses excitement as she hit 100,000 subscribers on YouTube. It is the streaming platform’s duty to celebrate and congratulate her, hence she was sent a plaque through her record label, Univeral Music Group.
She was excited about the achievement and appreciated the fans for their support. Kelly further urged people to vote for her for the Basadi Music Award. Learn more
