'We'll Play the Same Way of the Last Two Years But be Smart': James Anderson 'Excited' for India Tests

Team England pacer James Anderson expressed his excitement before the Englishmen tour India to take on the hosts in a five-match Test series slated to get underway on the 25th of January in Hyderabad.

The veteran seamer, who has been an absolute stalwart for the English cricket team over the years said that the side will look to be smart in the manner they go about their strategy as they take on the mighty Indian unit on home soil.

“I’m more excited going into this tour than previous tours to India. In the past, it has been a real slog and we have tried to grind it out. We will look to play the same way of the last two years but be smart about it,” Anderson said.

England recently picked up a whitewash of Pakistan, and the away win will certainly bolster the confidence of the unit, which will square up against India.

Anderson said that the conditions in India would be similar to the conditions they faced in Pakistan, if not identical.

“Nobody had us down to win 3-0 in Pakistan and we can take huge confidence from that. Conditions could be similar, not identical, but slow wickets for seamers and we have to be smart,” the 41-year-old said.

Anderson was part of the English Test side that managed to triumph on Indian soil back in the year 2012 and said that the team would try to emulate the success from years ago.

“India is a place where conditions will not be in favour of the seamers but I’ve been there before and had success, so I’m just trying to marry all that up and make sure I’m in a really good place,” the seamer said.

Anderson, who retired early from limited overs cricket in an attempt to extend his time in the red ball game opined that the past half a dozen years have been the highlight of his long career.

“I feel the last 5-6 years have been the best of my career. Although the Ashes did not go as well as I wanted it to, there have been many series when I have not bowled well throughout my career and it is just a case of putting in the hard work to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” the Englishman concluded.