Posts Tagged ‘Ashes Test’

London: The persistent problem on his Achilles tendon has made England batsman Kevin Pietersen doubtful for the third Ashes Test.

The former England skipper will meet a doctor after the end of the second Test at Lord’s here Monday for another injection into his problematic Achilles tendon, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Pietersen had already admitted that his achilles injury is always playing on his mind and is affecting his performance in the ongoing Ashes series. And if there is no improvement before the third Test it is hard to see him being fit enough to play.

Pietersen already had a homeopathic injection and a cortisone injection in the tendon and the next procedure will be a saline solution with a small percentage of cortisone, which is intended to cushion the movement of the tendon within its sheath.

The treatment is unpredictable and it can turn out to be a a miracle cure, or prove completely ineffective. But the most likely result is that it will give temporary relief, ideally for three or four weeks and that could allow him to avoid surgery in the short term. If Pietersen opts for surgery it will take him six months to get back on field.

London: James Anderson starred with both bat and ball as England bounced back on the second morning of the second Ashes Test against Australia at Lord’s here on Friday.

Anderson had opener Phillp Hughes caught behind and then Australia captain Ricky Ponting fell to him for just two. That left Australia 10 for two in reply to England’s first innings 425 – which owed much to swing bowler Anderson’s 29.

Australia, unbeaten in Tests at Lord’s for 75 years, were 22 for two at lunch – a deficit of 403. Simon Katich, who scored a century in the drawn series opener in Cardiff, was eight not out and Michael Hussey four not out.

Hughes had made just four when glancing at Anderson he was given out caught down the legside by wicket-keeper Matt Prior. Umpire Rudi Koertzen, standing in his 100th Test, is known for taking his time but, even by the South African’s standards, this was a ’slow death’.

Ponting, who had made 150 in Cardiff, is vulnerable to the well-pitched up delivery early in his innings when hitting across the line. Swing bowler Anderson produced such a delivery and appealed for what seemed lbw.

But the ball carried to England captain Andrew Strauss at first slip. The umpires referred the appeal to third umpire Nigel Llong, who was only empowered to rule on whether the ball had been caught cleanly.

He did that and Ponting had to go even though replays suggested he might not have hit the ball. However, those same replays also indicated he may have been out lbw.

Anderson, at lunch, had taken two wickets for 12 runs in six overs. England’s total owed much to Anderson’s last-wicket stand of 47 with recalled quick Graham Onions (17 not out).

Left-hand bat but right-arm bowler Anderson had proved a thorn in Australia’s side when batting in a defensive fashion alongside Monty Panesar to deny the Ashes holders the wicket they needed for victory last week in Cardiff.

But here he played shots, including five fours – all off struggling left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson.Ben Hilfenhaus, who led the Australia attack with Test-best figures of four for 103, clean bowled Strauss second ball Friday for his overnight 161 as the left-handed opener shouldered arms.

That sparked a slump that saw England lose three wickets for 14 runs in 18 balls. But thanks to Anderson’s back-foot cover-drive for four off Johnson, England got past 400.

Johnson finally had his revenge when, bowling from around the wicket, he got Anderson to steer him to Michael Hussey in the gully. Johnson’s three wickets cost an expensive 132 runs in 21.4 overs.

However, England ought to have been well past 400 on the first day after Strauss and Alastair Cook (95) shared an opening stand of 196. But the rest of the top-order to fall prey to an Australia attack that spent much of the day without off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, who dislocated a finger while trying to field a hard-hit Strauss drive.