Playing in India helped me - Anderson

James Anderson, the England fast bowler, believes his prior experience in India has helped him become a better bowler ahead of the Champions Trophy. "Things seemed to come together for me here earlier in the year," he told BBC Sport. "I developed a couple of balls, cutters and things, I didn't have before. Now I can use them with confidence."

During the tour of India earlier this year, Anderson grabbed six wickets in the final Test at Mumbai to set up an England win and was the pick in the ODI series. However, a stress fracture of the back put him out of action until the last week of the English county season. "Since then I have not felt a thing in my back, I have worked hard in the gym on my core fitness," Anderson said. "In the back of my mind, when I started bowling, I was left wondering what it was going to feel like but it has been fine."

"I have played 50 one-dayers and that has helped me a great deal to improve myself," he added. "Another thing about the games I have played is they have been quite well spread out around the world. It teaches you to bowl on different pitches and when we came out here last time I developed a couple of balls, cutters and things, I didn't have before. Now I can use them with confidence."

The Champions Trophy aside, Anderson had his sights trained on the Ashes and next year's World Cup. "Fitness won't be a problem, it is probably getting overs under my belt that will be the biggest thing," he said. "If I can do that I will be keeping my fingers crossed."

Obviously I am not that experienced but there are a lot of things I can look back on and they can help me out now; I am a much better bowler."

Liam Plunkett, a possible rival to Anderson for an Ashes Test place, believes he has recovered from the side strain that cut his summer short. "I totally understand England's reasoning that they don't want to rush me back too quickly from injury," he wrote in the BBC Test Match Special blog.

"I feel the fittest and strongest I've ever been in my playing career. I've worked really hard on my fitness. I did a stint of 22 days where I jogged seven miles every night to improve my strength and stamina." England's first match in the Champions Trophy is against India on Sunday at Jaipur.