James Anderson: Our best line of defence is attack

SAM MORSHEAD AT EDGBASTON: England's newfound determination to meet fire with inferno is unlikely to change when Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes return to the crease on Sunday, Anderson said after a chastening day at Edgbaston

England's best chance of getting out of a hole at Edgbaston will be to take the game to India.

That's the opinion of James Anderson, after a chastening day in Birmingham ended with the home side 332 runs behind with five first-innings wickets remaining.

After India's tail added 78 in 11.5 overs on Saturday morning, Jasprit Bumrah ripped through the English top order, while two wickets late in the evening session left the hosts in a perilous position going into day three.

England's newfound determination to meet fire with inferno is unlikely to change when Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes return to the crease on Sunday, against an India attack which made the most of several rain breaks to remain fresh on the second afternoon.

And Anderson - who earlier claimed his 32nd Test five-wicket haul - insists that is the right way to go.

^{James Anderson and England endured a tough day on Saturday [Geoff Caddick/AFP via Getty Images]}

He said: "I've got a fair feeling that our best line of defence tomorrow will be attack.

"The way Brendon [McCullum] and Stokesy [Ben Stokes] have gone about the last few weeks, the way we've got ourselves out of sticky situations in the last few weeks, has been by trying to put pressure back on the opposition. 

"I don't see tomorrow being any different. 

"Our batters are naturally aggressive. We want to score, we want to move the game forward and that's what we're trying to do tomorrow.

"Unless we get a message otherwise, I think it pretty much will be (the plan going forward), yes."

England's aggression under Stokes and McCullum translated into their fielding tactics on Friday, as the inner ring was reinforced and several slips in play for most of the day - even against Rishabh Pant when India's wicketkeeper was set and firing.

"We've got plenty of guys in the dressing room willing to fight and get back into this game"

But on Saturday, there was a different approach, with the field set back to the Indian tail. It did not quite go to plan, as Bumrah and Shami were able to swing with freedom and without inhibition to score at a canter. One Stuart Broad over went for 35 runs, the most conceded in a single over in Tests.

Anderson was defensive about the strategy at the close, stressing that it was a ploy which had benefited the team throughout the summer.

"Sometimes it can be easier to bowl at top-order bats, to be honest," he said. 

"I do remember a few balls to [Mohammed] Siraj, he tried to hit two out of the ground and the next one played a perfect forward defence. It can be tricky to get into a rhythm against them.

^{Anderson claimed five wickets but England are behind in the match [Geoff Caddick/AFP via Getty Images]}

"You just got to try and back yourself that your best ball get them out eventually."

England have escaped from trouble more than once this summer, most notably in their most recent Test at Headingley, when Bairstow and Craig Overton turned 55 for 6 into 360 all out and a first-innings lead. 

It will take something equally monstrous from Bairstow and Stokes to get back into this contest, let alone generate a first-innings advantage at Edgbaston, but Anderson remained bullish about his team's chances.

"We're up against it," he said.

"We've been in this position before this summer so it's a case of trying to come back tomorrow. We've got plenty of guys in the dressing room willing to fight and get back into this game and that's what we've got to do."

Related Topics

• India dominate as Bazball goes wrong on day two at Edgbaston