The Ashes: James Anderson expects Australian backlash at Lord’s

Having dished out a 169-run victory over the tourists, England lead the Ashes series 1-0.

They wrapped up a fairly-comprehensive win inside four days in Cardiff.

Anderson again showed just how crucial he is to England’s bowling attack, which looked stronger than it has in years as they ripped through Australia’s batting line-up.

And the taste of a sweet first-Test victory is something Anderson wants to channel as England head to Lord’s looking to open up a 2-0 lead and take firm control of the series.

“We’ve definitely got to use this momentum that we’ve got,” Anderson said.

“We’ve got a really good feeling about the dressing room.

“We know they’re going to come back strongly. The opposition always plays that little bit better at Lord’s, so we’ve got to be ready for what they’re going to throw at us.

“We do that by trying to improve on our performance from the last game, doing the same things, taking the positive options.”

Despite wanting to stay on their recent roll, which also included a series win over New Zealand, Anderson and his colleagues will not be getting complacent as they look to drive home their new, more positive outlook.

“That’s what we’ll try to do,” he said when asked if the new approach was here to stay.

“There might be times when we don’t do it. We’re still progressing as a team, growing as a team. So, we’ll keep working really hard at that. Hopefully, we can keep doing it.

“Every opposition we play at Lord’s generally picks up their game 10 per cent for some reason.

“When teams are 1-0 down they generally come back strong in the series, so we’ve got to be prepared for that.

“We felt satisfied that we had done a really good job last week, but as soon as we left Cardiff it is on to the next game; that is gone and we have got to try to do the same things again.”

Speaking at the premiere of the documentary film Warriors, of which he is executive producer, Anderson was full of praise for a bowling attack that offers such variety in the search for wickets.

He said: “I think everyone brings something slightly different to the table, which is obviously good.

“Talking about the balance of the team, in particular, it’s great to have Ben Stokes at six to bring us that fourth seamer option.

“And I think the way Mark Wood and Ben Stokes, in particular, bowled, they’re still getting experience in Test cricket, they’re still working their way into Test cricket, and I thought they bowled fantastically throughout.

““They were controlled, bowled with pace and, like I said, they were thinking all the time about fields and things like that. So all the right stuff.

“Moeen Ali bowling well helps. He obviously got runs in the first innings and we saw he took that confidence into his bowling.

“I thought he bowled brilliantly throughout the game, especially against players who are notoriously good against spin, like (Michael) Clarke and (Steve) Smith, and picked up crucial wickets for us both innings.

“So, hopefully he can do that throughout the series. He just takes a bit of pressure off the other guys.”

With Australian Trevor Bayliss now in charge as coach of England, Anderson was impressed with the impact the 52-year-old had on proceedings in Cardiff.

“He was brilliant,” Anderson added.

“He’s very different to most coaches I’ve had in the past, just very laid back; he just sort of glides around the dressing room throughout the day and then he always picked the right time to say something.

“If he had something to say it would be a little 60-second chat whether it be between innings or in the morning of the day’s play and he got it spot on every time, everyone really enjoyed it.”

Bayliss is hoping England’s new-found adventure can engage the Lord’s crowd, just as it did for four sold-out days of their victory over Australia in Cardiff.

Alastair Cook barely put a foot wrong as captain, and his team embraced their brief to attack whenever possible as they took a 1-0 Ashes lead.

“The atmosphere was fantastic...and I think the boys were appreciative of that as well,” he said.

“You play well, you get the support – and because of that support, you play even better. So one helps the other.”

Bayliss’s opposite number Darren Lehmann appears to have acknowledged Australia may make selection changes as thirtysomething all-rounder Shane Watson may struggle to hold off the challenge for his place from the younger Mitchell Marsh.

Australia are increasingly optimistic that left-arm seamer Mitchell Starc will recover sufficiently in time for Lord’s, from the ankle injury which troubled him in Cardiff.