Former England captain Nasser Hussain was effusive in his praise for Stuart Broad after the pacer took the wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith late on the fourth day of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. In their second inning, England were wiped out for 273 runs, setting Australia a target of 281 runs.
David Warner and Usman Khawaja gave their team a solid start, reaching 61/0 before Ollie Robinson removed the former for 36; however, from that point on, it was all Stuart Broad. The 36-year-old delivered two excellent outswingers that induced nicks from Labuschagne and Smith, allowing Jonny Bairstow to complete the victory. Day 5 will begin with Australia needing another 174 runs to win.
Stuart Broad could have taken a couple more wickets had he bowled more effectively.
In his column for The Daily Mail, Hussain praised Broad’s effort on the pitch and ability to dismiss the greatest batsmen.
“He can state that he has always given his absolute best effort. Broad was on his knees with two deliveries remaining in his spell, and he had been sprinting back to the end of his mark to beat the clock and bowl one more over, which is all I could ever ask of an England cricketer.
“With him, he strains every muscle, exerts every ounce of effort, and will continue to do so until he hangs up his boots. “His sense of theatre, sense of occasion, sense of when to step up his game, and sense of how to bring out great players are unparalleled,” he wrote.
England batsmen squander beginnings while Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon reign supreme.
Earlier on Day 4, none of the English batsmen were able to score a fifty, but Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Stokes contributed with fluent 40s to bring England to 273 runs. Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon each took four wickets, whereas Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland each took one. Australia needs 174 runs while England needs seven wickets on the fifth day of a cricket match. Rain is predicted for the day, which could add to the spectacle.
India
