'He has looked the most disappointing so far' - Ricky Ponting wants England to drop James Anderson for third Ashes Test

England have their back against the wall being 0-2 behind in the Ashes 2023 having been beaten by Australia in the first two Tests at Edgbaston and Lord’s respectively. The Ben Stokes-led side looked impotent in all the departments in the second Test as they failed to seize important moments throughout the game.

The most worrisome factor for England was to see their legendary seamer James Anderson lacking vigour while running in to bowl. With the series on line, England will need to take some tough decisions to make a comeback and keep the Ashes alive. Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting has suggested dropping Anderson as he has looked the "most disappointing bowler for England so far". 

“He (Anderson) looked like the most disappointing bowler for England so far. What you expect from James Anderson is when he's got that new ball in his hand, he's taking early wickets, he's moving the ball, and he's not going for any runs. We haven't seen that in the series so far,” Ponting said on The ICC Review.

In the two matches played so far in the series, Anderson has been able to pick only three wickets at an average of 75.33. To make matters worse, he dropped a catch of Travis Head during Australia’s second innings on Day 4 at Lord’s.

Further talking about Anderson’s replacement, Ponting suggested bringing in speedster Mark Wood in his place to bring some firepower in the bowling attack.

“I think the other one that they'll have to think about is Mark Wood. If Mark Wood is fit they need that bit of firepower and penetration, especially knowing now that they need to win the last three Test matches,” Ponting added.

Australia one step away from first Ashes series win in England after 22 years

England desperately needs Wood’s services in the third Test which will help them to execute their ‘short-ball ploy’ even more effectively with his searing pace. Meanwhile, Australia are just one win away from winning their first Ashes series in England since 2001. Australia won their last Ashes in England by 4-1 under the leadership of Steve Waugh. History beckons Australia as they head into the third Test starting from July 6 at Headingley, Leeds.