Follow UsEngland's pace legend James Anderson is hopeful that he can recover from an ankle issue to play in the one-off Test against India from July 1-5 at Edgbaston.
The 39-year old was sidelined for England's third Test against New Zealand which they won by seven wickets and swept the series 3-0.
"The ankle feels pretty good and I've got a couple of days of practice to get through. If I can do that, hopefully I'm good for Friday. We'll see what happens," Anderson told AFP on Wednesday.
"It was disappointing to miss the last game, seeing the guys out on the field having a good time and playing well. I'll keep my fingers crossed that I can get back in this week," he added.
Anderson is relishing England's new found style in the red-ball format under head coach Brendon McCullum as they dictated terms against the Black Caps.
"I certainly feel I've got more of a smile on my face in the field than I normally do. It's so much fun playing with this group in the style we have been," he said.
Anderson, Test cricket's highest wicket taking pacer, felt that the dressing room atmosphere is positive after bouncing back from their recent slump in Tests.
"I hate missing games. After that game at Headingley the feeling around the group is so good you want to be around it as much as possible," he said.
The Test at Birmingham was originally set to be played in September last year, but a spate of COVID-19 cases within the Indian camp forced the sides to abandon the match.
As of Wednesday, India are without captain Rohit Sharma, who has tested positive for COVID-19. Pacer Jasprit Bumrah is likely to lead the side.
(with inputs from AFP)