Stuart Broad – The man who lives up to the task almost every time
Frustrated, Angry and Gutted. These were the exact words from Stuart Broad after he was left out of England’s playing XI for the first Test against the West Indies. Fast forward to the end of the third Test, he is the highest wicket-taker of the series. Such has been his impact with the ball.
One can understand why the pacer was disappointed after being left out of the side in the series opener. He was feeling good about his bowling and was only 15 wickets away from completing 500 wickets in Tests. Moreover, he must have also been itching to get back on the field after COVID-19-enforced break.
Not that Broad was left out for the first time from the team. But it was the first time in eight years that he wasn’t considered in the XI in home Tests. However, brushing aside all the disappointment, he led England’s bowling attack from the front and helped them win the series from behind.
13 years since Test debut
Kraigg Brathwaite was his 500th Test victim which came after he took his first wicket in the format back in December 2007. If someone would’ve told Broad on his debut, that he will become one of the best fast bowlers in the country and the world one day, he would’ve happily accepted it.
It has been a dream for England to have two of the best fast bowlers of this era taking the new ball in Tests. James Anderson and Stuart Broad have been making the opposition batsmen dance to their tunes, especially at home. And it is no surprise that the duo is at the top two in the list of highest Test wicket-takers for England.
Broad is only 34 at the moment and the fact that he will play for a longer period compared to his teammate Anderson also gives him a chance to go past him in the coming years. England greats like Sir Ian Botham, Bob Willis and Fred Trueman are behind Broad in the list.
Leading wicket-takers for England in Test cricket
Broad has always been amongst the best for England. But more often than not he stayed under the radar thanks to James Anderson’s excellence. Though it hasn’t stopped him from carving a niche for himself. The journey hasn’t been easy at all with some questioning his ability away from home quite a few times.
Few things are always up for debate when it comes to great players. But that doesn’t make Broad’s achievements any lesser. He is one of the best fast bowlers in the world at the moment and his latest achievement proves it for the umpteenth time.
Highest wicket-takers in Test cricket
As for the numbers, the Nottingham pacer is at the seventh position in the list of highest wicket-takers in Test cricket. He is now close to the West Indies legend Courtney Walsh (519 wickets) while Anderson is in fourth place. He’ll be looking to go past the gigantic 600-wicket mark in the upcoming Pakistan series.
