James Anderson out of South Africa Test series with rib injury

James Anderson will not be able to participate in the third and the fourth Test match of the ongoing Test series between South Africa and England. The veteran fast bowler has sustained a rib injury.

Anderson had made a comeback to the game in this series itself, after a long injury lay-off which kept him away from action for five months.

He seemed to be getting into his groove as he registered a five-wicket haul in the first innings of the second Test match which was played in Cape Town, but he couldn’t bowl much in the second innings as he felt some pain in his left rib.

The MRI scan revealed it was a hairline fracture and Anderson would require a few weeks for complete recovery. The 37-year old will take the fight back to UK shortly.

Jofra Archer is likely to replace Anderson in the England XI for the third Test match which will start from 16th of January at St. George’s Park, Port Elizabeth.

England had lost the first Test match in Centurion by 107 runs, but they leveled the series in Cape Town, thanks to the heroic performances of Ben Stokes and Dominic Sibley.

While Sibley scored his first ever Test hundred, Stokes stood up for England with both bat and ball.

The all-rounder, who has been the hero of many England victories in the last 12 months including the World Cup final, first scored a whirlwind 72 off just 47 balls to help England declare the innings.

He then delivered a mammoth spell with the ball on the last day of the game to remove three South African batsmen.

Stokes’ spell with the ball was particularly important for the visitors because Anderson was not available to bowl and they needed a third pacer to back up the fast bowling duo of Stuart Broad and Sam Curran. 

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