The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Broad says England have ‘great chance’
Stuart Broad bowled almost 30 overs with a strained tendon in his right foot in the second Test against India, and is hoping his efforts may yet help salvage a stalemate.
England’s hopes of batting out a minimum 150 overs took a significant dent when captain Alastair Cook was lbw to the last ball of day four in Vizag, lbw to Ravindra Jadeja after the longest half-century of his career.
Broad may have to miss the next Test in Mohali, while his foot recovers.
However, despite the loss of Cook, he was still hoping last night that England could sustain the fightback which began on Friday after they had stumbled to a firstinnings 80 for five in reply to 455.
They still ended up with a deficit of 200 – and despite Broad’s figures of four for 33, by far his best in India to help bowl the hosts out for 204 second time round – the hosts remained strong favourites to go 1-0 up.
Cook (54) and Haseeb Hameed defied India in an opening stand of 75 – but both were gone in an end-of-play total of 87 for two, with a national-record target of 405 to win all but out of the equation.
But Broad claims England have enduring belief they can claim a draw and head north for the third Test still all square.
“We’ve given ourselves a great chance,” he said.
“If we can keep it quiet for the first hour-and-a-half tomorrow, the pressure will only grow on the Indian bowlers.
“Everyone believes it can be done.
Broad and Adil Rashid shared eight wickets, and India lost their last seven in the morning session, including captain Virat Kohli for 81.
England’s hopes then gradually rose, until Cook succumbed.
As for his injury, Broad is already anticipating several days limping around conspicuously before the improvement comes – in time at least, he hopes, for next month’s fourth Test in Mumbai.
In the more immediate future, India batsman Cheteshwar Pujara was already sensing a 1-0 lead as he assessed England’s chances of eking out the final day with eight remaining wickets
“We’re happy with the way things went,” he said.