James Anderson passed “every fitness test” before aggravating his calf problem in a “freak” scenario on the opening day of the first Ashes Test, says England captain Joe Root.
Anderson hurt his calf before the series and had a scan after bowling four overs on the first morning.
Australia beat England by 251 runs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
“He went through every medical check and it was a unanimous decision from all parties,” Root said.
The loss of Anderson, England’s leading Test wicket-taker, meant that Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes bowled the majority of England’s overs at Edgbaston.
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“We went about it how you normally would. It’s one of those freak things, he pulled up in the middle of a game,” Root told Test Match Special.
“It’s easy in hindsight. Sometimes things go against you and you have to find a way of getting through the game.
“It was a fantastic effort considering we were a bowler down and we have to not dwell on it.”
It has been reported that Anderson, who batted in both innings, went for a second scan to determine the extent of the injury.
The 37-year-old is not expected to be fit for the next Test at Lord’s, which begins on 14 August.
Root admitted England would miss a bowler of Anderson’s calibre, but added: “We are still very capable of taking wickets and being more competitive than we were here in the rest of the series.”
Australia’s victory was their first in a Test at Edgbaston since 2001. England have not lost the first Ashes Test at home since 2005, although they went on to regain the trophy with a 2-1 series victory.
