‘Kya bowler banega re tu’- Fans react as James Anderson bashes Edgbaston pitch curators for dishing out flat surface in first Ashes Test

In response to the flat surface in the Ashes opener, the England seamer James Anderson believes he’ll be “done” if similar tracks are provided for the rest of the series. England skipper Ben Stokes stated ahead of the series that the team desired quick flat grounds to enable them to implement their aggressive style of play.

The 180-Test veteran finished with the bowling figures of 1-109 in 38 overs during England’s nail-biting two-wicket defeat to Australia earlier this week. His poor performance meant that he was not trusted with the new ball in the concluding stages of the Test match. The experienced fast bowled the fewest overs of England’s three primary seamers, and his economy rate in the second innings was higher than three.

That pitch was like kryptonite for me: James Anderson

In his column for The Telegraph, he wrote, “This is an Ashes series. It is a big deal. When you play on a flat pitch like the one at Edgbaston and take a wicket, a bit more emotion does come out because you have worked extra hard for it.

“That pitch was like kryptonite for me. There was not much swing, no reverse swing, no seam movement, no bounce, and no pace. I’ve tried over the years to hone my skills so I can bowl in any conditions but everything I tried made no difference. I felt like I was fighting an uphill battle. It’s a long series and hopefully, I can contribute at some point, but if all the pitches are like that I’m done in the Ashes series.”

The 40-year-old pacer added, “There was a bit of rustiness but I gave it everything I could. Having played for a long time, I realise you can’t take wickets every game. Sometimes it is not your week. It felt like that for me. I know I wasn’t on top of my game this week. It was not my best performance. I know I have more to offer and contribute to the team.”

“The body felt quite good. There is some stiffness but I put that down to the unique conditions. We were running in on a very soft outfield then landing on a rock-hard pitch and that takes its toll on the body more than normal. All the bowlers were feeling that a bit.”

Here’s how fans reacted

He’s right

— M. (@messialltime) June 23, 2023

Eng more likely want to prep two pitches if given a chance.. #cheats

— cv (@cric_vicky09) June 23, 2023

https://twitter.com/Pakratkohli/status/1672239599815659520?s=20

Bazball finishes off Cloudswingers

— cv (@cric_vicky09) June 23, 2023

https://twitter.com/LUHSJR/status/1672326178667913216?s=20

https://twitter.com/LUHSJR/status/1672324819247935488?s=20

Go for 700

— Sandeep Mehta 🇮🇳 (@_mesandy_mehtaa) June 24, 2023

Bazball means flat pitches ! Cric is great leveller

— cv (@cric_vicky09) June 23, 2023