Swing king Anderson omitted for first Ashes Test

England's Jimmy Anderson has been ruled out of tomorrow's first Test as England look to best utilise the veteran seamer throughout a hectic Ashes campaign. 

Anderson was set to become just the third non-Australian to play five Tests at the Gabba, after fellow bowling ironmen Courtney Walsh and Daniel Vettori, but after initial reports today he had suffered a calf issue, the ECB confirmed he is "fit to play, and is not carrying an injury."

"With five Tests in six weeks the plan was to get him ready for the second Test in Adelaide," a statement read. "With the limited build-up we have had so far on the tour, both him and the management didn't want to take the risk of him playing after what had happened in 2019 at Edgbaston, when he broke down on the first morning. 

"He bowled at full capacity yesterday for just short of an hour and was in a good place physically. He will do the same again today at practice. 

"He will stay with the Test group this week and work with the coaches at the Gabba rather than playing for the Lions."

Historically at least, Anderson's absence should perhaps not surprise; in four Tests (three losses and one draw) at the Gabba, the prolific right-armer has taken just seven wickets at 75.14, while striking every 140.7 deliveries.

Of the 23 venues at which Anderson has played at least three Tests, it falls behind only the Wanderers in Johannesburg (three Tests, four wickets at 86.50, strike-rate 149.0) as his least successful.

The visitors have no shortage of quality in their pace-bowling stocks, with Ollie Robinson, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood and Stuart Broad all jostling for what looks likely to be three fast-bowling spots alongside spinner Jack Leach.

The tourists could opt for a five-man pace attack (including allrounder Ben Stokes) but speaking to the media on Sunday, England captain Joe Root seemed to indicate the visitors would go with the spin option.

"I do think it's a good place to bowl spin," Root said. "Speak to some of the great spinners to have played for Australia and they have always enjoyed bowling here."

Anderson proved a difficult proposition with the pink ball under lights in the day-night Vodafone Adelaide Test four years ago, claiming his first Ashes five-for in Australia in the hosts' second innings.

Anderson was the leading wicket-taker with 24 wickets at 26 the last time they won the Ashes here, in 2010-11, and seems to have only improved with age, having taken 152 Test wickets at 21.63 since turning 35 – a figure comfortably ahead of his career average of 26.62.

With the possibility of a second pink-ball Test now being speculated on as a potential option for the fifth Test, the 39-year-old could still have a decisive say on how this series pans out.

"One thing I will say is, you look at Jimmy's record over the last couple of years, and it's got better and better and better," Root told cricket.com.au last month. "He might be getting older, but he's still bowling just as well, if not better.

"I think it's going to be really key we look to play our best team for what's in front of us throughout the whole series, and whether conditions dictate that, whether the grounds dictate that, whether fitness dictates that, I think we're just going to have to be really smart and savvy about it.

"Ultimately, we want to play our best team, and Jimmy Anderson is one of the best bowlers in the world."

Vodafone Men's Ashes

Squads

Australia: Pat Cummins (c), Steve Smith (vc), Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Marcus Harris, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Michael Neser, Jhye Richardson, Mitchell Starc, Mitchell Swepson, David Warner

England: Joe Root (c), James Anderson, Jonathan Bairstow, Dom Bess, Stuart Broad, Rory Burns, Jos Buttler, Zak Crawley, Haseeb Hameed, Dan Lawrence, Jack Leach, Dawid Malan, Craig Overton, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood

Schedule

First Test: December 8-12, The Gabba

Second Test: December 16-20, Adelaide Oval

Third Test: December 26-30, MCG

Fourth Test: January 5-9, SCG

Fifth Test: January 14-18, TBC