Veteran English seamer James Anderson praised Australia following their narrow two-wicket win over the hosts in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston admitting that the visitors were superior on the day.
Captain Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon exhibited remarkable composure as they successfully guided the visitors to victory, with only two wickets remaining and 54 runs needed. Their nerves of steel ensured that they accomplished the task at hand.
Cummins stood up when it mattered, smiling his way through an innings of the utmost quality, hitting the winning runs to the boundary to finish unbeaten on a match-winning 44 on Tuesday.
“We are gutted not to get over the line, but over the next few days when we look back at what we have done, we can be really proud. We have tried to dominate from ball one. The declaration was really positive. We fought and fought on a really placid pitch. But credit to Australia; they were just too good for us,” Anderson told BBC.
Anderson, who had a modest contribution of just one wicket in the game, emphasised the importance of striving for improvement. However, he also expressed his belief that the fans of both teams were thoroughly entertained by the thrilling contest.
“There are areas we can improve. There always is, and in tight games those chances do get put in the spotlight. But we will let it soak in, get over the disappointment and look at the positives.
“We have played some great cricket. We have had five sold out days, and everyone has gone home happy. Both sets of fans can go home saying they have been to one of the great Test matches,” the veteran pacer said.
England will set their sights on levelling the five-match series as they take on Australia in the second game on June 28 at Lord’s.
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