Jimmy Anderson apologised to teammates after pulling up with calf injury in first Ashes Test

SAM MORSHEAD AT EDGBASTON: Anderson's problem - which is being reported in some quarters as a suspected torn muscle - occurred early in the first session at Edgbaston, and he underwent a scan on the issue after lunch

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England will not know the full extent of Jimmy Anderson’s calf injury until Friday, but Stuart Broad has revealed that his strike partner is “distraught” at being forced out of the first day of the Ashes series having bowled just four overs.

Anderson’s problem - which is being reported in some quarters as a suspected torn muscle - occurred early in the first session at Edgbaston, and he underwent a scan after lunch.

The issue is in the same leg as the injury which Anderson suffered while playing for Lancashire prior to the Ashes, though in a different part of the calf, and there is a very real possibility that he could be ruled out of the match when the scan results come through.

In a worst-case scenario, the seamer’s series could be in jeopardy.

Anderson apologised to his fellow bowlers in the dressing room on Thursday, having been left a frustrated spectator, but Broad stressed that there was no reason for his teammate to say sorry.

^{Stuart Broad said Jimmy Anderson had no reason to be sorry}

“He’s not had the results back yet. He is down, he is frustrated. He actually came and said sorry to all the bowlers, not that he’s got anything to be sorry for. He’s just distraught he couldn’t be out there today,” Broad said.

“I don’t know the next step with it. It could show not much and he could be able to bowl second innings or it could show something and it might be a couple of weeks. Until we get the scan results back I don’t suppose there’s too much to say apart from that he’s down in the dumps as you’d expect.

“He feels like he’s let the bowling group down but of course he hasn’t because niggles are part of fast bowling. “

In Anderson’s absence, Broad led from the front in taking 5-86 as Australia were bowled out for 284.

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It could have been substantially better for England - the Aussies recovered from 122 for 9 thanks in the main to a magnificent century from Steve Smith - but Broad was still happy with the overall outcome.

“We’ll take bowling Australia out for under 300 with a man down,” he said.

England will hope their batsmen can give Anderson plenty of time to recover by batting throughout the second day at Edgbaston, but Broad is comfortable that the side has plenty of options at their disposal in the eventuality that his old friend is unable to take to the field, ball in hand, for Australia’s second innings.

“If Jimmy can’t bowl again, Moeen is probably going to be our key man,” he said. “It will go back to those days when we played a three-seam attack with Swanny (Graeme Swann).

“It changes our dynamic slightly but with a cricketer likes Stokesy (Ben Stokes), who gets in as a batsman and a bowler, it saves you a little bit.”

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