@Owzat - the thing was it wasn't really a 9th wicket partnership. Both Broad and Swann are good enough to bat much higher than that and compared to England tails of the past this one is exceptionally long.
DeFreitas was a capable batsman, Lewis also and Gough, or whoever else I mentioned.
BUT Broad is showing more signs of maturity, quite why he was left to his 'rite of passage' in the England team without, it seems, anyone telling him to pitch up or ship out I don't know. He has the ability to bat seven, so too did quite a few lower order batsmen of the past, it's about
application and a few attacking wafts come strokes don't make him a number seven.
If Broad can keep this kind of bowling and form up, well the form might be a bit much to maintain (13 wkts, 140 runs), and he can apply himself with the bat then he
could become an all-rounder. He averages 28.69 with the bat overall,
but has 992 runs at home @ 41.33 and scores near enough 37 runs per visit to the crease ie it isn't inflated by lots of not outs. Unfortunately away from home he averages just 14.24 with bat and 40.43 with ball, pitching the ball up and applying himself when batting may redress that.
As for this match, well India had 1-1 in their grasp and Broad reduced India from what was heading for well over a 100 run lead to just 67 - with a dodgy hat-trick but then haven't we said all along the Indians can't complain about LBW referrals when they voted against them.
England need to make a strong start, perhaps the most crucial session of the series so far. India will want 2-3 wickets to leave England maybe 30 runs in front with only six wickets in hand, England will want to lose no more than 1-2 wickets and be reaching 150/3 if they can. India showed what a partnership on this pitch can do, no loose shots and England need to try and do the same. One of Strauss or Bell going on to a hundred might help, sadly Strauss is badly out of form and so maybe building a platform for Pietersen to do the damage might be the way to go. If this pair can get England up to any kind of lead and Pietersen can do what he did at Lords, England have a chance.
Despite what Yawn and others on TMS reckon, I'd say England need to set
at least a 250 run target, probably 300. This pitch doesn't seem to be getting any easier or harder to bat on, 300 give or take looks about par and England need to sell their wickets dear not cheaply. Spinners have taken one wicket so far, despite Mark Smug and Yawn suggesting there could be turn.
Whoever said about this match being too soon after the last and unfair on the Indians, well they've brought in reinforcements and England are the ones with all the problems. Trott and Swann are both now injured, India's replacements took 3/77 and scored 62 respectively which in the context of the match is no weakness. Swann may or may not have been affected by his injury but bowled 0/79 off 12 and Trott may or may not bat - that's just how it goes.
India's to lose, England need to make most of their innings and have already lost Cook cheaply for the fourth time this series. Trott is bound to be handicapped in his batting, I reckon he will bat but a (left) shoulder injury will make batting difficult. Could be time for a ton from Bell and/or Strauss, or step up Mr Pietersen and show us what you can do.
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All of us who doubted or criticised Broad excessively will be eating some humble pie.
Not at all, the Broad that has bowled this series is a completely different Broad to the "enforcer" (or enfarcer to be precise) that was a passenger in previous series.
He has repaid the selectors' faith in him, as I have said diplomatically in a previous post during the last match, but humble pie isn't on the menu. He also has to maintain the form, he's always been capable of taking wickets and scoring runs at home, no doubt he'll be in the tour party and he has a lot to prove away from home - that he can bowl according to conditions etc
SCJ Broad
Home : 992 runs @ 41.33 (HS 169) & 71 wkts @ 28.70
Away : 299 runs @ 14.24 (HS 44) & 49 wkts @ 40.43
Similar numbers of Tests, just two less away from home than at home. He has bowled only 203 more balls at home than away with vastly different results.
Broad isn't the finished article, when he is those who criticised him will still be right - at the time the criticism was made. Any criticism now can be judged in a different light, unless he reverts to type in which case it will be good guessing. He's had good form before, his problem is maintaining it. The doubt was all of Broad's creation, as was the criticism. Instead of seeking apologies or humble pie eating, he should ask himself 'what if' he'd worked his length out 20-30 Tests earlier....................................
