ENG vs WI 2017: Stuart Broad Surpasses Sir Ian Botham's Tally of 383 Wickets in Tests 1
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - AUGUST 19: Stuart Broad of England is congratulated by Sir Ian Botham after becoming England's second leading wickettaker during day three of the 1st Investec Test between England and the West Indies at Edgbaston on August 19, 2017 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

The lanky fast-bowler Stuart Broad, who has come a long way predominantly in the Test cricket, is delighted after surpassing his idol Sir Ian Botham, in the wicket-list of longer format game for Three Lions.

During the ongoing three-match Wisden Trophy series, Broad achieved the feat when he dismissed Windies wicketkeeper-batsman Shane Dowrich, on a peach of a delivery in the pink ball Test at Edgbaston on Saturday.

Handy with the bat as well, Broad eventually became the second all-time highest wicket-taker for England in Tests.

Owing to the fantastic time as a bowler, Broad has cherished the feat by showing the pink ball towards the dressing room and crowd which eventually caught the attention of Botham, who applauded the paceman.

“Many congratulations ‘Broady’ great effort really pleased for you !!!! Better have a good glass or two of the finest !!!!,” Botham tweeted.

Pertinently, the former England bowling all-rounder-turned commentator Botham featured in 102 Tests for England during his international career, as the Nottingham-born Broad achieved the milestone, in his 107th Test in Birmingham.

However, Broad bagged three wickets in the second innings after claiming two wickets in the first one against Windies.

Following the remarkable achievement, Broad revealed he is not running after the personal milestones, as he has always focused onto help his team and to win which is his responsibility as a fast bowler. Interestingly, it was England legend Botham, who had handed a debut Test cap to Broad when the latter featured in his first-ever Test against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club (SSC) in Colombo in December 2007.

While starting off his Test career under the leadership of Michael Vaughan, Broad picked up the solitary wicket of Chaminda Vass. The Cheshire-born 61-year-old Botha hailed the performance of his ward, Broad while reiterating the promising prospect would go a long way following his hard work, in the former years which has had further impressed the England Cricket Board (ECB) selectors.

In 196 innings while donning the white jersey, Broad has registered 15 five-wicket haul and 14 four-wicket haul which shows how he rose among the ranks as a pacer.

For England, the leading wicket-taker in Tests is James Anderson (492), who has been the long-term bowling partner of Broad – to help the national side win games owing to their inspiring performances on the 22-yard surface.

While being at his prime best, Broad’s best figures in an innings came in the fourth Test of the Ashes in 2015, when he claimed eight wickets after conceding 15 runs in 9.3 overs. Broad achieved the milestone at Trent Bridge in Nottingham which further saw Australia bundling for 60 in 18.3 overs, as the Kangaroos batted for just 94 minutes in Test innings which they lost by an innings and 78 runs. Tasting the success at his backyard, Broad has also gone through the lean patch before returning as a strong force to reckon particularly in the Test set-up.

Concluding, Broad has further put behind the painful memories of six sixes smashed by swashbuckling left-handed batsman Yuvraj Singh during the inaugural edition of ICC’s World Twenty20 in 2007 in South Africa.

With age, Broad worked hard on his bowling to bowl such a discipline to march into the record books, as he became a vital cog in the wheel for England in gentleman’s game. Broad has claimed 384 wickets in 107 Tests at an average of 28.47.

However, Botham claimed 383 wickets in 168 innings of 102 Tests at an average of 28.40, as his tally included 27 five-wicket haul and 17 four-wicket haul.

Here is the reaction from the Twitter world after Broad’s feat:

Tahir Ibn Manzoor

Tahir Ibn Manzoor, who tweets @TahirIbnManzoor (https://twitter.com/TahirIbnManzoor) - works as an editor for Sportzwiki.com. He has a great affection for longform feature writing. He completed his masters...