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Jimmy Anderson will feel right at home at Old Trafford. Source:AP
AS if Jimmy Anderson has not been daunting enough for the Australian batsmen, they must now confront the English paceman at a historic venue he helped restore.
The original Yankee Stadium was "The House That Ruth Built". Old Trafford is not quite "The Ground Jimmy Renovated". But Anderson played a part in getting the bulldozers rolling.
Anderson and his Lancashire teammates joined a delegation that urged Trafford Council to approve the rejuvenation of dilapidated Old Trafford, instead of using adjoining land for a new supermarket.
"Yeah, we held a protest on the streets outside the council," said Anderson, whose fellow protesters included the club mascot "Lanky The Giraffe". "We were holding placards and making a bit of noise."
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As ever, Anderson's appeal was successful. A venue that was overlooked for an Ashes test in 2009 has undergone a 44 million pound makeover.
The result is not the typically quaint English ground we have come to expect.
The glass boxes, iron pillars and metallic fittings are in stark contrast to the historic pavilion which has been preserved.
Old Trafford's new "industrial chic" is, according to the architects, a tribute to the Hacienda, the iconic Manchester nightclub where alternative bands such as New Order made the city a counter-culture capital in the 1980s.
Anderson claims, with some justification, Old Trafford is again "one of the best Test venues in the world".
Although, in keeping with the tone of the series, change has taken a toll on Australian cricket history.
Shane Warne's famous "ball of the century" to Mike Gatting in 1993 was bowled from the Stretford End. But, with the centre wicket rotated 90 degrees, Warne would now be bowling from mid-wicket.
On Tuesday, Anderson celebrated his 31st birthday. As if, in the face of dismal Australian batting, all his birthdays have not already come at once.
The fast bowler's gift from the Old Trafford curator is the type of brown, abrasive strip upon which the Australians struggled at Trent Bridge and Lord's. A pitch tailor made for both Anderson's reverse swing, and the spin of Graeme Swann.
If Gatting is still haunted by Warne's incredible leg-break, the resurgent English better recall another historic Old Trafford performance. The 19 wickets Jim Laker took for just 90 to destroy Australia here in 1956.
But England captain Alastair Cook is typically unapologetic about England's pitch-doctory. Even if, as a member of England's miserable 2006-07 Ashes tour, he can empathise with Australia's sorry plight.
"I think (with England down 2-0) we were chasing 480, and me and Belly got a partnership together (169), and you think 'You never know, do you?'" Cook recalls.
"When we lost that game to lose the series, that was difficult."
While Australian captain Michael Clarke was loathe to admit it, the prospect of becoming the first Australian team to lose seven consecutive Tests since 1888 is clearly a burden. One that, with both Clarke and now batsman Steve Smith suffering bad back backs, seems to be taking a heavy toll.
So how do the Australians claw their way back into a series that seems lost, on a ground where Anderson will be roared on by his home crowd?
"With West Australia, Justin Langer said the only thing to do in a situation like this is fight," said opener Chris Rogers.
Which seems like good advice. Until you remember David Warner has tried that already.
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