England pacer James Anderson is set to miss the final Test against India in Chennai owing to body soreness, said England captain Alastair Cook, reported ESPNCricinfo on Thursday. Anderson, who missed the first Test of the series in Rajkot due to a shoulder injury, is experiencing soreness in his ankles and in the shoulder.
“It’s not worth the risk,” Cook said. “When he has been in this situation over the last six months and we have played him, he has picked up injuries. It doesn’t seem the right time to play him. He is sore from the previous game and we, as a management group, don’t think it’s worth taking a risk. Could he get through? Yes, he possibly could. But over the last six months when we’ve played him, he has picked up an injury.”
However, Cook backed Anderson to contribute to English cricket. “I’m very confident he can make a big contribution to English cricket over the next couple of years,” Cook said. “But we’re going to have to manage him a bit more in Tests. He might miss a couple more Tests as a precaution. He might not. With a couple of months off now, his body might fly again. He’s a very athletic guy and he’s very light on his feet. He can still make a big difference to English cricket over the next couple of years.”
Stuart Broad could come back into the side in place of Anderson, but a decision over his fitness will only be made after training on Thursday. The fifth and final Test begins on Friday.
