Fast bowler James Anderson wrote in his column about his performances not living up to expectations and also about the standard he has set for himself over a long and illustrious career. "I will be honest; you want to contribute in the big series, and I cannot remember having two such quiet games in a row for at least the past 10 years."
"I feel like I have always contributed at some stage. But I do not think I am bowling particularly badly; I am just going through a lean patch, which you do not want to happen in an Ashes... I am saying lean patch, but it is only two games out of 181."
While expressing his disappointment in the tepid and lifeless Edgbaston pitch, calling it his ‘kryptonite’. He said, "I am not going to criticise the pitch again. They have not suited me so far, but I have found ways of getting wickets in the past on flat pitches. At the moment, I am just not finding that knack."
Anderson further said that, "However, when you see the best bowlers in the world slamming it into the middle of the pitch, it is not great viewing. If you asked all the bowlers on show at Lord's, they would say they wanted to try other skills as well."
While concluding his statement, he said, "I am not thinking about the future. The future for me is just thinking about Thursday and the start of the next Test. That is as far ahead as I will look. If I get the nod, I will put in the performance the team needs. If not, I will keep working hard and play a role at some stage across the series."