James Anderson ruled out of fourth Test with muscle injury

His record at The Oval is less stellar – 35 wickets at 33 – but his loss would be a huge boon for the Australians, who this afternoon were fighting to cling on in the third Test at Edgbaston.

England are still in pole position to go 2-1 up in the five-match series, even if Anderson doesn’t bowl again in this match.

Steven Finn came out firing on Day 2 and got his just deserts!

Warner counter-attacked emphatically in a second-wicket stand with Steve Smith, on the way to a 35-ball 50 – during which Finn conceded 14 runs in his first over, a solitary one from the City End.

It proved to be an inspired move by England with the 26-year-old taking two wickets in the first Australian innings and then five for 45 in their second to take his side to the cusp of victory.

England’s leading wicket taker, 33, was injured on day two at Edgbaston as England took control over Australia.

“Anderson will be unavailable for the fourth Test, beginning on Thursday August 6 at Trent Bridge, and his availability for the final Test in the series will be determined in due course”.

Johnson brought up 300 wickets in Tests when he struck twice in three vicious balls to remove Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes, giving the tourists the shot in the arm they needed after a dismal batting display on the first day.

“It was a tough week after Lord’s”.

“We just have to adapt to these conditions and bat long periods of time”, the aggressive opener said.

Clarke has a mountain of work to do before the fourth test starts in Nottingham on Thursday.

The visitors had their issues with the ball, but far more alarming were woeful collapses of 5-60 in the first dig and 4-30 in the second innings.

Conditions favoured the bowlers from the outset here, prodigious movement available via seam and swing – and with batsmen refusing to tolerate the concept of mere survival, hectic pace took hold. It was technical stuff – he thought I was just putting the ball there during the Lord’s game so I’ve worked on finishing my action a bit more. Root was finally tempted into edging a wide one, this time from the other Mitchell, Mitchell Starc. “It would have been a good test match”.

The duo added an invaluable 87 runs for the eighth wicket after England were in danger of being bowled out for less than 250.

Peter Nevill and Mitchell Starc both showed up Australia’s top-order batsmen with defiant fifties as England were left with a target of 121 to win the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Friday.