James Anderson recalled into England Ashes squad

Anderson, England’s all-time leading Test wicket-taker, had to miss the fourth match of the series at Trent Bridge with a side strain suffered during the team’s eight-wicket win in the third Test at Edgbaston.

But England still crushed Australia by an innings and 78 runs in Nottingham on Saturday to take an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-match series, with just the match at The Oval, starting on August 20, to come. 

Stuart Broad, Anderson’s longtime new-ball partner, took eight for 15 on his Nottinghamshire home ground as Australia were dismissed for just 60 in 111 balls on the opening day -- the shortest completed first innings of a match in the 138- year history of Test cricket.

When Anderson injured himself in Birmingham, there were fears he might be sidelined from the remainder of the series. And with England now in an unbeatable position in the series, it has been argued that they don’t need to risk their prize asset in a ‘dead’ match.