Anderson injury could echo McGrath ’05: Clarke

Australia captain Michael Clarke believes the side strain sustained by England spearhead James Anderson could be a turning point in the series, similar to Glenn McGrath’s infamous cricket ball mishap at Edgbaston in 2005.

Anderson has been ruled out of the fourth Test, beginning Thursday at Nottingham, while his availability for the final Test at The Oval – which will decide who claims the urn if England fail to win the fourth Test – will depend on his recovery.

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In the 2005 Ashes, McGrath destroyed England in the opening match but was ruled out of the second Test after he injured his ankle after stepping on a cricket ball in the pre-match warm-up.

McGrath's inside story of Edgbaston 2005

England went on to win the Test, and eventually the series.

“Every day there’s something new that pops up, (there’s been) plenty of distractions for both teams, that’s for sure,” Clarke told Melbourne’s Triple M, referring to the injuries and form issues on both sides throughout a series that has included extreme fluctuations in fortunes in the space of just 11 days of cricket.

“I guess we experienced it in losing Ryan Harris before a ball was bowled this series, and now Jimmy Anderson is certainly out of this Test match, and who knows if he’ll be fit for the last one as well?

“As much as you don’t wish injury on anyone, I hope it can play a part like in 2005 when we lost Glenn McGrath.”

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A veteran of 107 Tests and the 11th-highest wicket-taker (411) in the game’s history, Anderson was at his lethal best in the first innings of last week’s third Test at Edgbaston, ripping through Australia with 6-47 as he capitalised on conditions tailor-made for swing bowling.

His record at Trent Bridge, where he has 53 wickets in eight Tests including his two career 10-wicket hauls, had been widely touted as an ace up England’s sleeve heading into the fixture.

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Now Clarke senses his absence as an opportunity.

“Hopefully we can take a bit of confidence knowing that someone who, I think he averages 19 (as a bowler) at this ground in Nottingham, is unavailable for selection,” he said. “I think we can take a lot of positives from that.

“But again it’s about performance. No matter who they bring in, I’m sure they’ll bowl well.

“I’m pretty sure conditions will be pretty similar to what we just faced (in Edgabston), so there might be a bit of swing and a bit of seam around, and we’ve just got to find a way to get in, and once we do get in, go on and make a real big score.”

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Durham paceman Mark Wood, who played the first two Tests of the series, looms as the likely replacement for Anderson if he recovers from the ankle soreness that ruled him out of the Edgbaston match.

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