India vs England: Stuart Broad reveals why he bowled like Anil Kumble in the second Test at Chepauk

Stuart Broad is a veteran of 145 Test matches. He has picked up over 500 (517) wickets in Test cricket. And, with his vast amount of experience, Broad knows the importance of constantly adapting to the varying conditions in different parts of the world.

Broad played in the second Test match at Chennai, and the track was one that had a lot of help for the spinners. The pitch at the MA Chidambaram stadium was definitely not the quickest, and Broad being the veteran that he is, opted for a change in tactics.

The England pacer revealed that he will have more work to do if he is selected to play in the third Test at Ahmedabad, which will be a day-night affair and will be played with the pink ball. Broad added that there was ‘nothing’ on the first day in the Chennai pitch. So, he revealed that he resorted to the Anil Kumble way of bowling, where he started bowling a lot of leg cutters to stay in the game.

“Personally, there should be more for me to work with, if selected (In the pink ball Test). There was nothing in the Chennai pitch on that first day and it was only when I went Anil Kumble and started to get the leg-cutter really jagging off the surface that I felt in the game,” wrote Broad in the Daily Mail.

Stuart Broad refuses to criticize the Chennai pitch

However, Broad refused to blame the pitch for the second Test and was of the view that home advantage should be utilized and the home side was within their rights to utilize home conditions. He also added that England were outplayed on a pitch that the Indian side was very skilled at, but was still ‘alien’ to the visitors.

“There is no criticism of the second Test pitch from our point of view. That’s exactly what home advantage is and you are well within your rights to utilize that. Why wouldn’t India play on pitches that turn square and upon which first innings runs are vital? They outplayed us on a pitch that they are very skilled on but one very alien to us,” concluded Broad.

The third Test is extremely vital for both sides. Both India and England will be looking to land the killer punch and take an unassailable lead when the third Test gets underway at Ahmedabad on 24th February 2021.