Johannesburg: The England bowlers have had time to recover after a marathon stint in Cape Town and are ready for the third Test against South Africa, record wicket-taker James Anderson said on Tuesday.
England’s bowlers were kept on the field for three days and delivered a hefty 211 overs in the drawn second Test, which ended last Wednesday, giving them only a week to recover before the next game at the Wanderers starting on Thursday.
“We are feeling good considering the amount of bowling and the amount of time we spent in the field,” Anderson, whose physical ordeal was made even harsher by the fact he missed the first Test in Durban because of a calf injury, told reporters.
Anderson said he felt pretty good, although it had not been ideal to bowl 35 overs so soon after being injured.
“It’s frustrating to get injured but as a bowler it happens. Whatever age you are, you get injuries,” added the 33-year-old, who has taken 427 wickets in his 111 Tests.
Anderson enjoyed a break in Cape Town after the Newlands Test while fellow fast bowlers Stuart Broad and Steven Finn went to a game reserve to visit a rhino conservation project.
England lead the four-match series 1-0.
South African fast bowler Dale Steyn was earlier ruled out of playing in the third Test. Coach Russell Domingo said Steyn had been advised to take another week’s rest after suffering a shoulder strain during the first Test in Durban.
He has been undergoing tests and the Domingo said his medical team were awaiting further opinion from a specialist on how best to manage the injury.
Steyn, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, has only played in two of South Africa’s most recent five Tests and on both occasions has suffered an injury, which prevented him from bowling in the second innings.
Domingo said he was confident that Steyn, 32, would still have a role to play in the Test side.
“All players are going to experience some sort of niggles at some stage of their career and he has just had a few of them of late.
“He is a great athlete, as fit as anyone, these things happen. He is just going through that phase of his career but I’m sure he will get through it.”
Following the resignation of Hashim Amla after the drawn second Test in Cape Town, South Africa will be led for the first time in Tests by AB de Villiers.
“Within our team it’s been business as usual,” said Domingo. “I don’t see too much of a change in the change room because it’s all the same players, they have all played under AB in the one-day side so it’s not too much of an adjustment.
“We want to build on our performance from Cape Town, there were a lot of positives for us.”
“AB is really looking forward to doing it. He has always wanted to captain the Test side and he is really excited by the challenge.”
