A decent article from Mike Gatting.
ASHES EXCLUSIVE: England need to cope without leader Anderson, says Gatting
Yahoo expert and former England skipper Mike Gatting says Alastair Cook's side must have the belief to make do without their talismanic strike bowler
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4 hours ago
England at Edgbaston but their challenge now is to break the run of failing to win two Tests in a row - and what better incentive than doing so to win back the Ashes.
The eight-wicket win against
Australia extended the hosts’ record of winning and then losing to seven matches.
In my Yahoo column ahead of the third Test, I asked for the basics to be done better and they did so by bowling as a unit and by holding their catches - two areas that have led to the inconsistency, so they must maintain that level.
My only major worry going into the Test is the absence of Jimmy Anderson, given he has been such an outstanding bowler. They’ve lost the leader of their pack - but they must not think that they can’t win because he’s not there.
New Zealand and Broad and Ali in the first innings at Edgbaston and then Root and Bell did so in the second. We need to be able to do it with different compositions of pairing if we are to look more solid.
I also think credit has to go to the selectors. They’ve done well to keep Adam Lyth in the side - there is clearly something there but he does need to find some runs.
With an ageing side, Australia undoubtedly have more long-term selection issues than England once they get beyond this series but even now they are probably going to have to make changes. The top four of the batting will stay the same but then they maybe need to look at Shaun Marsh for Adam Voges.
In the bowling line up Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood didn’t bowl anywhere near as well as they did at Lord’s. Starc was wayward, Hazlewood seemed to lack a little bit of something - it wouldn’t surprise me if Pat Cummins comes in at Trent Bridge.
Nathan Lyon at least bowled well for them. I just think they need some fresh blood to give the engine room a boost. The Australians will fight and come back at us - they’re never down and out - but they do have it all to do to resurrect this because if they lose this one then they’ve lost the Ashes.
And then comes Michael Clarke. He is under huge pressure as captain and to score runs. After such an embarrassing defeat this is where ruthlessness comes in for England. They need to make it hard for him to get off the mark and need to keep him scratching around out there - or just get him out quickly.
It will certainly be Clarke’s last Ashes in the UK but England need to do what the Aussies traditionally have done so well: get their foot on his throat and keep it there - then this may well be the last series that we see him pull on the Baggy Green cap as skipper.