Reuters/Birmingham

England paceman James Anderson will be assessed after appearing to suffer a side strain bowling in Australia’s second innings during the third Test yesterday.
England’s leading wicket-taker in Tests, who took six for 47 on Wednesday as Australia were skittled for 136, aborted his run and walked straight off the pitch in the evening session of the second day at Edgbaston.
“James Anderson has a tight side and will be assessed overnight and in the morning. There will be an update tomorrow,” the England and Wales Cricket Board said in a statement. Anderson followed up his first-day heroics by taking 1-15 in 8.3 overs yesterday as England were on the verge of taking a 2-1 lead in the Ashes.
As a response to the series-levelling 405-run mauling in the second Test at Lord’s, it was emphatic. Anderson, who went wicketless in that defeat for the first time in 59 matches, put it down to a desire from his England team-mates to prove they should not be written off in this compelling series and claimed their performance could be bettered still. “We were all disappointed with the way we performed at Lord’s but the week away did us good,” said Anderson. “We arrived here refreshed and raring to go. Knowing we could play better was driving us on. We wanted to prove to people we could play better than that.
 “Getting a six-for in an Ashes Test – a crucial game – will rank highly for me on that level but from a specific bowling point of view I think I can bowl better. And we can as a group. We got edges and a few poor shots so there is a possibility of bowling better than that, which is really exciting.”
Cook and the head coach, Trevor Bayliss, in the wake of Lord’s, requested a more English-style pitch and the Warwickshire groundsman, Gary Barwell, duly delivered.