The Hindu : Sport : Memorable day for Stuart Broad

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Monday, Jul 16, 2007
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Memorable day for Stuart Broad

Ted Corbett

Match ends in a tame draw

CHELMSFORD: Stuart Broad, 21, had the most memorable day of his young fast bowling career when he was announced as one of 13 for the first Test against India at Lords beginning on Thursday. He was also told by a former England captain that his place in the final XI was assured and produced the best figures of his career.

Cricket life does not come much better than this but Broad deserves his debut chance. He is not just the son of an England batsman Chris, its left handed opening bat 20 years ago and now a match referee but his future as a Test all-rounder is forecast by several distinguished old heroes.

Gooch’s take

Graham Gooch told me that he was sure Broad would play at Lords on Thursday if only because his seam bowling is a marked contrast to swing from Ryan Sidebottom and Matthew Hoggard and one who needs encouraging.

By that time Broad had ripped out three more Indian batsmen to finish their innings with five for 76. He led the England players up the pavilion steps to their dressing room, his sweater slung stylishly round his shoulders, pausing just long enough to speak to his dad who was waiting with a crowd to cheer the new England star. Broad senior knows the perils of the father-son relationship in sport and has given his son space to develop. There are only ten other father-and-son Test appearances for England.

Best news

The near certainty that Steve Harmison will miss the game is the best news for Broad, a 6ft 6in beanpole who has not stopped growing. He could be a nasty handful from the pavilion end on the springy Lords pitch and, although he still needs weight and strength before he is a complete fast bowler he already bowls out tail enders as a hobby.

He also talks a good game. “I need to practice hard this week,” he said. “I am over the moon; it is a cricketer’s dream come true. I shall come out fighting.”

He is hoping that Sachin Tendulkar, who made 171 against Broad and the England Lion cubs on day two, has scored his ration of runs in the drawn game here.

Last attempt

Tendulkar made a last attempt to give the spectators some entertainment by offering to make a match of it but all that happened was that India missed its chance to score a morale victory over Andrew Strauss.

After India was all out 383, 30 behind, Strauss looked no more confident but reached 45 out of 76 for one by lunch, still hesitant, still reaching for the ball, still miscuing and almost run out in a misunderstanding with Jon Denly.

The Indian bowlers lacked hostility by the time Strauss reached fifty and took 12 off an over from Ramesh Powar to reach 80. As soon as Powar went round the wicket Strauss under-edged the ball on to his stumps. He declared at 227 for two, giving his opening bowlers a brief chance to undermine the confidence of Wasim Jaffer and Denesh Karthik before the Test.

On a pitch that never had any malice and had now gone fast asleep his hopes came to nothing while India gained valuable batting practice.

Blazing shots

Karthik batted as if he thought a result was possible with a series of blazing shots that brought him a half-century out of 72 before he was caught off Adil Rashid.

England squad (from): Michael Vaughan (captain), Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Ian Bell, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Matthew Prior, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison, Ryan Sidebottom, Stuart Broad, James Anderson, Monty Panesar.

Scoreboard
England Lions — 1st innings: 413 for eight decl.

India — 1st innings: D. Karthik c Ambrose b Broad 5, W. Jaffer lbw b Onions 1, V.V.S. Laxman c Ambrose b Onions 0, S. Tendulkar c Shah c Onions 171, S. Ganguly c & b Tremlett 14, Yuvraj c Strauss b Broad 59, M.S. Dhoni b Broa d 76, R. Powar b Bopara 4, Zaheer c Ambrose b Broad 28, S. Sreesanth c Shah b Broad 0, I. Sharma (not out) 0; Extras (b-4, lb-8, w-2, nb-11): 25; Total (in 86.4 overs): 383.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-2, 3-14, 4-65, 5-205, 6-304, 7-317, 8-361, 9-361.

England Lions bowling: Broad 19.4-2-76-5, Onions 20-3-90-3, Tremlett 13-4-40-1, Rashid 12-0-90-0, Bresnan 16-2-46-0, Bopara 6-1-29-1.

England Lions — 2nd innings: A. Strauss b Powar 80, J. Denly c Jaffer b Zaheer 18, O. Shah (not out) 77, I. Trott (not out) 31; Extras (b-5, lb-1, w-1, nb-14): 21; Total (for two wkts. decl. in 59 overs): 227.

Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-140.

India bowling: Zaheer 8-1-36-1, Sreesanth 9-0-37-0, Ishant 9-0-44-0, Powar 13-2-49-1, Ganguly 8-1-20-0, Yuvraj 8-2-16-0, Karthik 4-0-19-0.

India — 2nd innings: D. Karthik c Bopara b Rashid 51, W. Jaffer (not out) 22, Yuvraj (not out) 6. Extras (b-4, lb-6, w-1, nb 1) 12. Total (for one in 20 overs) 91.

Fall of wickets: 1-72.

England Lions bowling: Onions 4-0-28-0, Bresnan 6-0-21-0, Rashid 6-0-24-1, Bopara 4-0-8-0.

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