Ace English pacer Stuart Broad feels that not just express pace but creating relentless pressure with the ball will hold the key for England team in the upcoming Ashes 2021-22 against Australia.
After a lot of talks and decisions, the Ashes 2021-22 finally got the green signal for the much-anticipated Test series, which will kick start on 8th December at the Gabba followed by the second Test match at Adelaide, Oval on 16th December.
The third and fourth Test match will be played on 26th December and 5th January at MCG and SCG respectively. The fifth and final Test match of the Ashes will take place on 14th January at Perth Stadium.
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England cricket team recently announced their 17-member squad for the high octane Test series. While the Joe Root-led side has a full-strength batting line-up, they are short of their premier all-rounder Ben Stokes and pacer Jofra Archer.
Stuart Broad, who has been one of the most dependable bowlers for England in whites and their second-highest Test wicket-taker with 524 scalps, said that he’s doing research and is keeping a keen eye on wickets that have fallen in Australia in the last six years.
He added that being relentless with the ball will be the key to success.
"I've been doing quite a bit of research and looking at every right-arm over the wicket to right-handers and every right-arm round wicket to left-handers that's fallen in Australia in the last six years.
“We often, in England, talk about express pace, but that's not what I'm seeing. It's relentlessness with the ball. It's (Glenn) McGrath-like that you do for a long period of time. It's not bowling bad balls and releasing the pressure,” Stuart Broad was quoted as saying by Telegraph.
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Broad said that the likes of Vernon Philander, Kyle Abbot have a brilliant record in Australia because they always brought stumps into play and that’s what he’ll look to do to get success in Australia.
He added that it would’ve been great to have the extra pace of Jofra Archer but their bowlers need to move the ball bad be relentless with it.
"Kyle Abbott and (Vernon) Philander (South African seamers) have got brilliant records there. It's bringing the stumps into play and, as a whole bowling unit, repeating it, repeating it and repeating it for long periods of time. That's how you get success in Australia. So I'm not too worried.
“It would be great to have Archer in Australia and have that express pace, but our bowlers would need to move the ball and to be relentless. That's what we've got to aim to do,” he said.
While talking about his injury, which he suffered during the India series, he said that it was that bad the even couldn’t even get a cup of tea and it took him two weeks to put weight on his foot.
"It was a bad calf tear, but it was a clean one. When I did it, I knew it was pretty bad news... I couldn't even get a cup of tea. I was just lying on the sofa watching the cricket. It took me at least two weeks to be able to put any sort of weight through my foot," he said.
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Stuart Broad concluded by saying that he has started bowling and is hitting the ground running. He admitted that he’s still not 100 percent but he’s building up slowly and gradually.
"I've been back bowling for two weeks now. In this Ashes series, there's going to be a lot of players searching for a bit of match hardness and match readiness.
"I actually feel like I'm approaching the series fit, fresh and ready to hit the ground running. I'm not at 100 percent yet but I don't need to be. I'm building my body up slowly and gradually,” he concluded.
(PTI inputs)
