Ashes 2021-22: James Anderson urges England to not expect exaggerated swing with the pink-ball in the Adelaide Test

England fast bowler James Anderson asked his teammates to not get carried away with the pink-ball in the second Ashes Test, starting Thursday, December 16 at the Adelaide Oval. The Three Lions will go into the game with their backs already pushed to the walls, having lost the Brisbane Test by nine wickets.

Anderson couldn’t take part in the game due to a calf issue, but he’s been confirmed in England’s 12-man squad for the second Test. The veteran, also England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, said that there’s no guarantee that the bowlers will get exaggerated swing with the pink ball under the lights.

It doesn’t necessarily do nothing during the day, says James Anderson

“I had success with [the pink ball] last time here but, obviously, it is quite temperamental. It’s not a given that it’s going to swing around corners, or seam, or anything like that. We know it’s generally a good pitch here, and if the sun’s out, then it won’t do a great deal,” Anderson was quoted as saying in ESPNcricinfo.

The 39-year-old Anderson reckoned that if the new ball doesn’t swing enough, the bowlers may need to get a bit defensive in their approach.

“It doesn’t necessarily do nothing during the day, but it might not do as much. Especially for a new-ball bowler, you got to try and see if it’s swinging. If not, then maybe you go slightly more defensive. If it is swinging, you can attack a little bit more. It’s just the same in that respect as any other Test match, to be honest. It’s something that we’ll try and read as we go along,” he added.

Anderson had a memorable outing when England played a Day-Night Test in Adelaide back in 2017. Although the visitors lost the match by 120 runs, Anderson showed his class, picking up six wickets, including a five-wicket haul in the second innings. It also happened to be his maiden fifer on Australian soil.

In 166 Tests, Anderson has racked up as many as 31 five-wicket hauls to show for his efforts. Albeit he is in the wrong side of his 30s, the fast bowler hasn’t given any indication of retiring from the game.