James Anderson will need help from the pitch to pick wickets: Zaheer Khan

Team India will have to be wary of the threat possessed by James Anderson in the upcoming five-match Test series. He is one of the best swing bowlers the game has ever seen. Moreover, if the conditions are slightly helpful, he tends to wreak havoc in the opposition batting line-up. But the former Indian cricketer Zaheer Khan feels that Anderson will need help from the pitches and he won’t be as effective if it continues to be a hot summer in England.

The ace pace bowler of the home side is also returning from a shoulder injury and there is a doubt if he will be able to play all the five matches of the series. The mind games have begun ahead of the gruelling contest and Anderson had taken a cheeky dig at the Indian captain Virat Kohli. Zaheer seems to have hit back at him now with his comments indirectly saying that the bowler is not at his best nowadays.

Conditions important for Anderson

England is experiencing its hottest summer ever and if it continues in the same way, Team India is most likely to benefit as their spinners will come into the action with dry pitches. Zaheer Khan, in an interview to Mid-Day, also pointed out the same and felt that if the conditions are not helpful for seam bowlers, then James Anderson will struggle and his place in the team will also be questioned mid-way through the series.

“I think Anderson is also at a stage in his career where he will need help from the pitches. So, if the wickets which are offered are helpful, you will see him continue to talk. But if they are not helpful for seaming conditions, then you might see England debating whether he should play or not after two Tests,” he said.

The first Test will commence on August 1 at Edgbaston in Birmingham as India’s tour is scheduled to end on September 11.

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