England pacer Stuart Broad on Saturday (July 25) turned back the clock and showcased his batting skills in the first innings of the third Test against West Indies at Old Trafford.

Batting at No. 10, Broad slammed 62 off 45 deliveries to help his team post 369/10 on the board. In the process, the southpaw also scored the joint third-fastest Test fifty for England off just 33 balls. His innings was laced with 9 fours and a six.

Speaking after the second day’s play in Manchester, Broad said adopting Australian great Shane Warne’s stance at the crease paid off while facing the Caribbean fast bowlers.

“They were quite important runs. It was about changing the momentum of the innings. West Indies bowled beautifully this morning and I think if I had gone out there and tried to play regulation I think there was a ball with my name on it,” Broad told a news conference.

“I tried to up the momentum, hit the bowlers off a length and try and take Kemar (Roach) and Shannon (Gabriel) away from what they’d done so well in the first 40 minutes.

“Tactically it was the right thing to do and something I’ve worked on with Peter Moores at Nottinghamshire. He brought me the example of Shane Warne who didn’t look particularly pretty at times but hit balls in different areas and was really effective, especially in the 2005 Ashes,” he added.

Broad said the idea was to stay leg side to eliminate the possibility of being trapped lbw and then back his ability to hit the straight ball.

“There was a little bit of thought process in the madness, but I did enjoy myself out there,” he stated.

Stuart Broad also did his bit in reducing the visitors to 137/6 at stumps on Day 2. The right-arm speedster picked up two wickets by conceding 17 runs in his 10 overs. Kraigg Brathwaite (1) and Roston Chase (9) were his victims.

“We’ve given ourselves a great opportunity. Our number one aim tomorrow has to be to try and bowl them out so that we have the option of a follow-on,” Broad said.

(Inputs from Reuters)