Anderson, Broad doubtful for second India Test

England could be without their two leading bowlers for the second Test against India at Lord’s starting on Thursday, after James Anderson joined Stuart Broad in missing Wednesday’s final pre-match practice session.

Broad suffered a calf problem after pulling up during Tuesday’s warm-up and a thigh injury prevented Anderson taking part in Wednesday’s net session.

The veteran new-ball duo, who both featured in last week’s drawn series opener at Trent Bridge, are England’s two most successful Test bowlers of all time with a combined 1,145 wickets from 312 matches.

England has not played a Test without either one of the pair since October 2016.

Lancashire’s Saqib Mahmood was added to the squad on Wednesday fresh from playing in the Hundred for the Oval Invincibles.

Anderson and Broad’s injuries are bound to leave the England and Wales Cricket Board facing fresh questions over a domestic fixture schedule which left both bowlers short of match practice heading into a showpiece series in the absence of red-ball county cricket.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Jonny Bairstow, meanwhile, said he doesn’t have much knowledge about the extent of injuries suffered by Broad and Anderson.

“We don’t really have much information. We know that Broad has gone for scans, we don’t know anything else,” Bairstow said at the pre-match press conference on Wednesday.

Asked about the possibility of playing a Test without both Anderson and Broad, he said, “It’s a big loss for the team — both have over 1000 wickets between them — but it’s also an opportunity for others, just like it was against Pakistan recently,” Bairstow said.

He added, “There is going to be injury, illness, you have to be adaptable within the group, we are playing a professional sport.”