Stuart Broad and Ben Stokes engineered yet another improbable victory for England as the hosts levelled the three-match Test series at Old Trafford in Manchester.
There was never a doubt about whether Broad will leave an impact on the game or not. He did what he has been doing for a long time now.
At a time when the battle was heading towards an assured stalemate on the fourth day, it was Broad’s interruption with the ball that swung the game back in England’s favour.
In their first innings, the tourists battled hard, courtesy gritty, gutsy half-centuries from Kraigg Braithwaite and Shamarh Brooks. From a point when the scoreboard read 242-4 for West Indies, Broad masterminded supreme devastation, making the visitors crumble at 287.
This was perhaps the first instance England could scent a victory in a rain-marred contest meandering towards a draw.
The second innings was not much different for the guests. Armed with a shiny new Dukes ball on an uneven pitch, both Broad and Chris Woakes made Windies batsmen dance to their tunes.
Broad’s burst on the last day of the match rekindled England’s hope. He nipped the ball back into the right-handers constantly, exposed their stumps and pads, and got a couple of early wickets to keep England interested.
Although the 34-years-old has only two wickets to show in the last innings, it can’t be denied that he was the main instigator who triggered the demolition of Windies batting unit.
Broad uprooted Shai Hope’s stumps with an absolute peach of a delivery that left the batsman in complete bewilderment. He finished the match with five wickets.
Here’s the video:
YOU BEAUTY @StuartBroad8! 🙌
Scorecard/Clips: https://t.co/Jr8JJyRQaw#ENGvWI pic.twitter.com/7q9rNeu2Ej
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 20, 2020
