Anderson plotting revenge for that pasting

It has been anything but. Not only has the vibrancy of the series added a sparkle to late summer, but the outcome of the decider at Lord's tomorrow also matters to a new England team.

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Expressing the responsibility felt by each member of the squad assembled by coach Peter Moores under captain Paul Collingwood, strike bowler James Anderson insists the future will begin with victory.

He said: "To win the series would be a massive starting point for this team, with its new coach and captain, to kick on from and take to the World Twenty20 and then to Sri Lanka in the winter.

"It would show to people that we can go somewhere. We're all young enough to be playing in the next World Cup, which is the end goal."

To listen to Anderson's passion, whether it be his ambition to top the bowling world rankings or the hurt he felt at The Oval two days ago when he conceded 28 from his final two overs as India chased down England's 316 to level the series, is to shatter the image of a player whose personality was famously described by Nasser Hussain as almost impossible for a captain to fathom.

Anderson was thrust on to the international scene so suddenly at the age of 20 after one summer of first-class cricket that he did not know how to belong to the England dressing room.

His rawness was exposed on his first Ashes tour before injuries stunted the growth of his game.

Now, though, he has re-emerged, more comfortable with his surroundings and grateful to Andrew Flintoff, in particular, for guiding him through the dark times.

That confidence has shown out in the middle. He was voted England's man of the Test series by India and cannot wait to right the wrongs of The Oval when edges flew for boundaries instead of on to stumps and into hands.

He added: "I spent 20 minutes after the game thinking about it, but you have to try to think positively. In a seven-match series, you are going to go for runs at some point.

"I'd had quite a bit of luck so far in the series. I just have to put it down to one of those days when I didn't get the rub of the green and come back stronger on Saturday.

"The series is perfectly set up now. It's a final and there's no better place to have it than at Lord's. I want to get back to how I was at the start of the series.

"There's a different group of people in the team now to when I first came into the England side. The players have grown up together, whether in the Academy or the A-team or the one-day team, and we all know each other quite well.

"When I first started, for the first 18 months, I was pretty quiet. It took me a while to come out of my shell. I didn't say much and the others didn't really get a lot out of me or from me. In that way I would have been pretty hard to read.

"There was a definite group of senior players then, with Nasser, Alec Stewart, Andy Caddick, Nick Knight, and I found it quite a daunting place to be at that time, especially so early in my career. I didn't really want to say anything in case it was wrong.

"I was really happy with the way I started for England. You have a patch where it takes a while for people to work you out.

"But then they do, and the period when you have been worked out by teams is probably the hardest one to get through. That's when I struggled a bit.

"It was great to have someone like Fred around for advice. He's not had a smooth ride, either. He's not always been as good as he is now and it's taken him a while to get to where he is.

"And with all the injuries he's had as well, he's been a great guy to feed off to see how to get through those periods.

"Now that I'm comfortable with my game, what my plans are and what I'm going to do. I'm trying to help Stuart Broad and some of the younger players who have come into the side."

Anderson is also helping to promote Urban Cricket, the new initiative to bring more kids into the game.

He admits to still being inspired by the batsmen he faces, including Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian genius for whom there are similarities between Anderson and Australia legend Glenn McGrath.

"It's very flattering," said Anderson. "It was a shock to be voted England's man of the series by the Indian management.

"It was a really nice gesture and a silver lining in a series that was lost. My aim is to become England's main bowler and get as high up the world rankings as possible. I'm still quite young, 25, so I've still got a couple of years to develop."

James Anderson was talking at the npower Urban Cricket Arena, which was opened in Brixton last month. For more information, visit www.urbancricket.com