English fast bowler Stuart Broad has asked his fellow pacers to adapt quickly to what could be another slow pitch at the Lord’s Cricket Ground as the hosts get ready for the first of the four-match Test series against Pakistan.
England’s track record on flat pitches will be major worry for their team management. They were thrashed by 405 runs by Australia during last year’s Lord’s Test. They also lost 2-0 to Pakistan in UAE last year and most recently they could only drew against Sri Lanka at Lord’s in the recently concluded Test series. And if the pitch behaves in the same manner, then one can say that Pakistan’s bowlers will create a lot of problem for the English batsmen.
“Our biggest challenge is going to be this wicket,” Broad said during an Investec event at Lord’s on Monday (July 11).
“The Test match against Sri Lanka was a bit of a bore draw so it will be interesting to see what they produce. The biggest test for the bowling unit will be trying to do what no other team has done this year, which is to win a game and take 20 wickets at Lord’s. It was a challenge when we had Jimmy in the side four weeks ago, so it will be an even bigger challenge this time.
“The Sri Lanka wicket [didn’t offer] a regulation nick,” Broad added. “They got wickets with lbws and bowleds so it will be about adjusting as quickly as possible. If we play on a wicket at Lord’s similar to the one against Australia that will be right up Pakistan’s street. Wahab and Yasir Shah is a similar sort of attack. If we do come across a wicket like that, which can is always a lottery at Lord’s, we have got to be better at adapting.”
With senior pacer James Anderson out of the first Test due to shoulder injury, there will be added pressure on Broad to lead a young bowling attack. The pacer said that the key to excel as a bowling unit would be to create a good bond.
“Our success comes from communication so the key will be get a bond between the bowling unit and sharing a lot of information,” he said. “We always talk, not as an ego thing, but to try to get one over the opening batsman. A series can be a long time, so let’s try and stamp our authority quickly on them.
“We will be talking what seam is working. Is it a wobble seam? Should we hold it up dead straight? Like Headingley, can we push it fuller, or do we need to drag our lengths? With Jimmy’s experience, that happens within three or four overs, so I would expect the bowlers to be talking all the time in the first hour, just trying to figure out what is happening. It will be our job to get as much out of the wicket as possible.”
Broad also suggested that the selectors should have include Anderson in the squad for the first Test.
“I would have been tempted because at least you have got him around working with the bowlers, and pushing his fitness to play on Thursday,” felt Broad.
“I saw him all last week and he seemed okay, to be honest. He was pretty certain he would be in the squad and I am sure there must have been a huge temptation to have him in the 13, so Jake (Ball) and Toby (Roland-Jones) could learn something from him leading into the match,” he concluded.