Rajkot: Stuart Broad, a cricketer not prone to hyperbole, has conceded England’s impending five-Test series in India will be the toughest challenge of his career but views Wednesday’s opener in Rajkot, where he will win his 100th cap, as the perfect chance to “right some wrongs” from Bangladesh.
Alastair Cook’s side go into the gruelling six-week encounter without any warm-up fixtures and after the 1-1 draw in Bangladesh that included a first ever defeat to the world’s ninth-ranked Test side and created question marks in both the batting and spin bowling departments.
India, led by their firebrand captain, Virat Kolhi, are top of the world rankings and have won 12 and drawn one of their past 13 Tests at home — including a 3-0 whitewash of New Zealand last month — since Cook’s tourists claimed a historic 2-1 victory here in 2012. Asked if England are facing their toughest assignment to date, Broad replied: “Yes, without a doubt. I think we are coming as massive underdogs. Obviously India have got to No1 in the world and played some brilliant cricket here so we’re very aware this is a huge challenge.” All being well Broad, whose involvement in the series four years ago was curtailed by injury, will on Wednesday become the 14th England cricketer to win 100 caps and the third in the current side after his captain, Cook, and regular new ball partner, Jimmy Anderson, who arrives in India on Monday night in the hope of being fit for next week’s second Test in Visakhapatnam following a shoulder problem.
“Obviously I’m aware how special an achievement 100 caps is because of the players that have come before me and the amount they’ve given to English cricket,” said Broad, who has claimed 360 wickets from his 99 Tests to date and is third behind Anderson and Sir Ian Botham in England’s all-time list.
“But actually, I think what excites me more is we hope this game will be the start of a huge series for us as well. We know how vital it is to start these tours well. We’ve been training really hard the last couple of weeks since [the defeat to Bangladesh in] Dhaka, to put some wrongs right. We’re about ready to go.” Broad added that he had not considered retirement yet: “Well I’m 30 now but I try not to think about the end of careers, because I think that makes you slow down as a player; set those targets and you stop chasing to improve. I certainly want to play in big series, and that counts at least two more Ashes series.”
With Gary Ballance expected to be dropped from the No4 position, Jos Buttler could be set to earn a recall to Cook’s side as a specialist batsman a year after losing his place as wicketkeeper to Jonny Bairstow, with Haseeb Hameed, the uncapped 19-year-old Lancashire opener, England’s only other option in reserve. Of equal concern to England’s apparent fragility with the bat on turning surfaces is the potency of their own spinners, with three from Moeen Ali, Adil Rashid, Gareth Batty and Zafar Ansari to be picked without any inspiring huge confidence.
