Former England pacer Stuart Broad identified Yashasvi Jaiswal’s error as the catalyst for England’s amazing comeback in the third Test of the ongoing Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. With this win, England seized a decisive 2-1 lead in the five-match series.
Broad chastised Jaiswal’s shot selection and underlined the value of early wickets in low-scoring, high-pressure chases. He praised Jaiswal’s remarkable ability to take control of a game from the outset, but pointed out that he gave the momentum directly to the opposition.
“In a low chase, when you are defending, if you come to bowl and you have Sehwag, Warner, the opening hitters who can take the game away from you, and they are up 60 for none or one off 10, the game is pretty much over. So Jaiswal gets out, pretty awful shot, I’m shocked he didn’t seek to cut it over the off-side, and England is like, okay, we’re in.
“He is the player who moves the scoreboard forward,” Stuart Broad stated on the ‘For the Love of Cricket’ podcast.
Broad further elaborated that the early dismissal of such an opener in the fourth innings was instrumental in allowing England to seize control. He drew parallels with other dynamic openers who have transformed chases into mere formalities, and stressed that Jaiswal’s misstep opened the door for England to capitalise.
“As soon as Karun Nair came in, he was someone who plays each ball on merit, then England could control it and set attacking fields, create pressure. So I thought that was a really big moment. England making that breakthrough early, Jaiswal gone,” Broad added.
With England holding a commanding 2-1 lead and two Tests remaining, India will need to bounce back quickly and decisively. The fourth Test is set to begin on July 23 at Old Trafford in Manchester, with all eyes on India to deliver a strong performance and help level the series.
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