Onions gets call amid Anderson injury fear
ENGLAND last night called up fast-bowler Graham Onions for this week’s fourth Test against India at The Oval amid fears the touring batsmen’s nemesis James Anderson (inset) could miss out through injury.
Chris Tremlett, who missed the second and third Tests, has already been ruled out of the final match of the series as England look to follow dethroning India as the No1 Test side in the world by completing a 4-0 whitewash.
And Anderson, who effectively clinched the series by decapitating the tourists’ top order at Edgbaston on Saturday, has emerged as another doubt after being diagnosed with a minor leg injury.
National selector Geoff Miller insists the England camp are optimistic Anderson will recover but were left with little choice but to draft in Onions, who has beaten a career-threatening back problem since his last Test appearance in early 2010.
“We are hopeful that Jimmy will overcome this niggle by Thursday [the first day of play], but more time is required before a decision on his availability can be made conclusively,” said Miller.
“Steven Finn is obviously in the squad and he is now joined by Graham Onions, who has been in good form for Durham since returning from a back injury at the start of the season.”
Onions, 28, has not played a Test for England since the 2009-10 series in South Africa, where his dogged performances as a No11 batsman eclipsed his bowling. He was picked for the following series in Bangladesh but was forced to fly home after suffering a back injury, and also underwent knee surgery before making his comeback this year. Tremlett is still nursing the back problem that kept him out of the previouos Tests.