Tuart Broad threw down the most expensive in Test cricket history when India’s tail wagged on the second morning of the fifth Test in Edgbaston.
The tourists added 78 to their overnight score of 338-for-seven to post a first-innings total of 416 as Ravi Jadeja scored his third Test hundred and first away from home.
A remarkable 35 of those runs came from a single Broad to India’s stand-in skipper Jasprit Bumrah, who, batting at number 10, broke the previous record of 28.
That was jointly held by the Australian George Bailey, the South African Keshav Maharaj and the West Indian great Brian Lara. Of that trio, only Lara scored all 28 points without a fight and South Africa’s Robin Peterson crossed the line six times in one in a 2003 Test, but Bumrah also surpassed that figure, with 29 off the sheet.
Bumrah then made the early break and bowled England opener Alex Lees for six, before rain intervened just three overs in England’s response and, for the second day on the bounce, forced an early lunch. The home side was left 16-for-one, exactly 400 runs behind.
Rishabh Pant’s counter-attack 146 on the opening day had dragged India from 98 for five to a strong position and, as they had done too often last summer in the first four Tests of this series, England had their tactics badly wrong against the tail, persevering with a short barrage as the ball flew to all parts.
Mohammed Shami scored 16 before lifting Broad to Jack Leach on a fine third man, while James Anderson threw Jadeja for 104 shortly after taking the new ball. Jadeja’s barrel came from 183 balls and included 13 fours, although he survived a scare at 92, when a rim flew just inches over the dives of Joe Root and Zak Crawley on slip.
Anderson would eventually walk away with five-fers after claiming the last wicket from Mohammed Siraj, but only after Broad’s historically bad left.
First, Bumrah hooked for four, before Broad’s bouncer flew far over Sam Billings behind the stumps to offer five wide. Bumrah then hit a no-ball for six, before the batter hit three consecutive fours and hit another maximum over backwards square. With a single from the final pitch, Bumrah was nearly finished, but his dive denied the bowler even that consolation.