With India Test on mind, Anderson could be rested for third Test vs New Zealand

London, June 19

England pace bowling stalwart Jimmy Anderson will likely miss the third and final Test against New Zealand at Leeds from June 23 as he was reportedly suffering from a leg discomfort on the final morning of the Trent Bridge Test. A report in Daily Mail has said that the 39-year-old Anderson could miss the third Test more on account of taking rest rather than injury, given the busy summer schedule ahead, including the Test against India.

Anderson was reportedly battling a leg niggle which restricted him to just 8.4 overs of the second innings at Trent Bridge and delayed his introduction into the attack until the second hour of the final morning, the report said.

With England having taken an unassailable 2-0 lead in the Test series and the gap between the third Test against New Zealand and the re-arranged Test against India in Birmingham just three days, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) might want to keep the ageing warhorse fresh for the contest against the Rohit Sharma-led side.

The report added that the workload of Anderson's new-ball partner Stuart Broad too would be considered while picking the playing XI for the Leeds Test.

--IANS