ASHES: Looking at how India beat Australia: James Anderson

Gold Coast, November 14

Veteran England pace bowler James Anderson has said that his team has been studying the Test series victories of India and South Africa in Australian conditions.

The first Test of the five-match Ashes series starts on December 8 in Brisbane, where India beat Australia early this year for a 2-1 win in the Test series. Anderson said that with Australia being a dominant force in their home conditions in the last two decades, information needs to be given to those players who are touring Australia for the first time.

England, who are allowed to practise while being in quarantine, are aiming to claim the Ashes urn in Australia, something that hasn’t happened since 2010/11.

Asked if his team had studied the wins of India in Australia in 2018-19 and this year, Anderson said: “We’ve definitely looked at those two victories for India, South Africa as well (in 2016). We looked at that series, to see what they did well and how they got 20 wickets a game and how they won the series.”

“It’s important to look at those things, see if we can implement stuff in our set-up. We definitely in England get obsessed with the fact that we need pace in Australia, whereas if you look at the attacks around the world, they’re not dissimilar in pace to us,” he added.

He pointed out that being persistent with line and length along with field placements will be crucial for England. “Apart from Mitchell Johnson, I can’t remember many over-90-miles an hour bowlers in any of the teams that have won there,” he said. “Every team’s got players who bowl mid to late 80s, and that’s what Australia do. Yes, they’re quick enough, obviously, Mitchell Starc is the quickest, but you look at (Pat) Cummins and (Josh) Hazlewood, what is their strength? I wouldn’t say pace, it’s being absolutely relentless with their areas, banging the top of off stump with the odd bouncer, and they make it very hard for teams.”

“Then you look at the teams that have had success there, us in 2010-11, India, South Africa, how they went about it was being absolutely relentless with their areas,” said the veteran pacer. “And being clever with the field positions as well.”

The 39-year-old felt that England need to be flexible with their mindset to pick 20 wickets and get runs with the bat as well. — Agencies