Stuart Broad's sense of how to get great players out is second to none: Nasser Hussain
Australia got off to a solid start in their second innings before Stuart Broad pulled things back for England with an impeccable spell of bowling before the close of play on Day 4.
Former England captain Nasser Hussain was all praise for Stuart Broad after the pacer picked up the wickets of Marnus Labuschagne and Steve Smith, late on Day 4 of the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston. England were bowled out for 273 in their second innings, setting Australia a 281-run target.
David Warner and Usman Khawaja got their team off to a solid start, reaching 61/0 before Ollie Robinson dismissed the former for 36 but from here on, it was all Stuart Broad show. The 36-year-old bowled two terrific outswingers to draw the nick from Labuschagne and Smith as Jonny Bairstow did the rest. Australia finished the day at 107/3 with another 174 runs to get on Day 5.
Broad could have easily picked up a couple of more wickets with the way he was bowling. Hussain, in his column for The Daily Mail, lauded Broad for his effort on the field and his ability to get the best batsmen out.
"He is one who can say that he always gave it his absolute everything. Broad was on his knees with two balls to go in that spell, he had been sprinting back to the end of his mark to beat the clock and bowl one more over, and that for me is all you can ever ask of an England cricketer.
"With him, he strains every sinew, gives every ounce of effort and he's just going to give it everything until he hangs up his boots. His sense of theatre, his sense of occasion, his sense of when to lift his game, and his sense of how to get great players out is second to none," he wrote.
England batters throw away starts as Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon reign supreme
Earlier on Day 4, none of the English batters could score a half-century but Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Stokes contributed with fluent 40s to take England to 273. Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon picked up four wickets apiece while Josh Hazlewood and Scott Boland scalped one wicket each. Day 5 is intriguingly poised with Australia needing 174 runs while England seek seven wickets. A bit of rain is expected for the day and that could add to the drama.
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