Anderson on course for second Test

England expect James Anderson to be fit for selection for the second Test in Manchester.

Alastair Cook, the England captain, admitted there had been a temptation to play Anderson in the Lord's Test, but ultimately it was decided, on the advice of the medical team, not to hurry his recovery from a fracture in his right shoulder.

Anderson, the world's No. 1 rated Test bowler and the leading wicket-taker in England's Test history, bowled in the nets at Lord's on Tuesday and Wednesday and expressed confidence in his own ability to play. But the selectors decided that it was better not to risk him on a Lord's surface that often offers little to bowlers and could demand some long spells.

"He was fairly confident," Cook said. "Of course there is always a temptation to take that gamble with a bowler who has taken 450 Test wickets.

"He's not quite at full pace and there is a risk of going into a five-day Test match with that injury - an injury that not many people have had - so the selectors have decided it's too much of a risk to go for it. They're concerned that if he has one of those stints at Lord's, the sun's out and it's a flat wicket, he could be bowling 30-odd overs in an innings and we're not quite sure how his shoulder will stand up to that.

"The medical people are asked their opinion and I imagine they will err on the safety side. If they make the other call and it blows up, there are repercussions. When you are responsible for making decisions on players' welfare, it must be really tough. You do not want to be responsible for it.

"There are other games. He should be fit for Old Trafford. He does understand the situation."

While Anderson's absence is clearly a setback, it does offer the chance of freshening the England attack for the second of these back-to-back Tests. There are only three days between the games, both of which are expected to be played on good batting tracks, so Anderson might be used to boost a jaded seam quartet.

Ben Stokes is also close to full fitness and should also be available for selection for the second Test. Stokes, who underwent surgery on his knee in May, has been cleared to play a full part with bat and ball in the Championship match against Lancashire starting on Saturday, while Mark Wood, who has had two bouts of surgery on his ankle, will play for the Lions in the tri-series also involving Sri Lanka A and Pakistan A that starts on Monday.

It is possible, though unlikely, that Anderson could feature in the same Championship match as Stokes, as England are reluctant to allow him to play a full part in a match that ends a day later than the first Test. He is more likely to continue his rehabilitation in the nets and away from the cameras.

"Ben needed another week or so in terms of being confident of his knee when bowling and batting," Cook explained. "He didn't feel that confident on his knee yet and you get that from playing. He's had an operation on it so it was quite a major thing. It was discussed [whether to pick him as a specialist batsman] in the selection meeting but we decided not to go that way. He plays a four-day game for Durham and will bowl."

Shivil Kaushik, the Gujarat Lions left-arm spinner with an action reminiscent of Paul Adams, was also among the net bowlers, but Arjun Tendulkar, the son of Sachin who has become a regular at such sessions in the last few years, was reduced to the role of spectator. He has sustained a significant back injury and has been told not to bowl for at least six months.