Stuart Broad reflects on dream start to fourth Ashes Test
Saturday 8 August 2015 10:42, UK
Stuart Broad is thankful England captain Alastair Cook ignored his advice to bat first on what turned out to be a dream first day at Trent Bridge for the Ashes hosts.
Broad's inclination on Thursday morning, the first day of the fourth Investec Test series, had been to bat first, despite cloud cover.
But his advice fell on deaf ears with Cook, who won the toss and gave his bowlers the chance to make history - and after England's third-best Ashes figures of all time, Broad will be heeding his captain's instincts from now on.
"It was a good morning to bowl, a good toss to win... although I was telling Cookie to bat!" admitted Broad as he reflected at stumps, after his career-best 8-15 had shot Australia out for 60 in 18.3 overs.
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"It was just one of those days you dream of really - home ground, to pick up 300 Test wickets and then get a career-best."
In a "perfect" start to the fourth Test, Joe Root (124no) and Jonny Bairstow (74) then carried England to 274-4.
"A 214 lead after day one is as powerful a performance as I've been involved in," Broad added.
"To bowl a team out for 60 is obviously very special. But to then be 270 odd (as well) is an amazing achievement.
"It's been the perfect day for us, but it all starts again on day two."
Cook had little hesitation making what was clearly the right decision at the toss and Broad took most advantage, delighting the crowd at his home ground with a wicket third ball to become only the fifth Englishman to reach 300 in Tests - and then mopping up another seven in 9.3 overs.
Broad was breaking new ground with his best figures in any cricket.
"My previous-best ever bowling was seven for 12 against Kimbolton School Under-15s," he added.
"I keep seeing the scoreboard pop up on the TV, or see it on the ground, and it doesn't look real to me.
"It's a bit of a freak day. But it's what you work hard for, those moments when it all works for you.
"It's great to have a PB against Australia, one of the best teams in the world."
England kept finding the edge, and taking all catches - and Australia's batsmen appeared compliant.
"The pitch just offered the perfect amount," said Broad. "It wasn't really swinging massively, wasn't seaming loads - I think we got seven edges and only one play-and-miss.
"We were brave enough to put six catchers in at one stage - and there were some amazing catches - probably the all-round perfect bowling and fielding performance, backed up with some outstanding batting."
Victory in Nottingham will see the urn regained, after England's 5-0 whitewash defeat two winters ago, but going into Friday's play, Cook believes England cannot yet afford to start thinking of how they are going to regain the Ashes here, with a match to spare.
Broad said: "We've been conscious all week not to talk about winning the Ashes - because I think that mentally takes you to quite a dangerous place.
"Cookie said again at the end of the day's play 'Let's enjoy the next hour in the changing room; we've had a fantastic day, one of the best England have had in the Ashes ever - but let's reset for day two'."
It is a long, long way back for the tourists, though - and captain Michael Clarke admitted he had endured few if any tougher days.
"It's up there," he said. "That, and being bowled out for 47 against South Africa (in 2011), is not a nice one to remember.
"That's as tough as they come today."
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