Ashes 2013-14: Unperturbed by controversies, Stuart Broad continues to succeed under pressure

Stuart Broad came under heavy criticism for the much-debated incident of him not walking back to the pavilion despite getting a thick edge at Trent Bridge in England this year. However, he who has shown on numerous occasions that he thrives under pressure. Bharath Ramaraj looks at the much-talked about cricketer from England who floored Australia into submission on the first day at the Gabba by taking all the first four wickets to fall.

Just when Australia looked to settle in after an early jolt in the first Test of Ashes 2013-14, Stuart Broad struck before lunch. He has been under tremendous pressure after the infamous incident at Trent Bridge as he didn’t walk edging the ball to slips. Yet Broad has come a long way and continues to thrive under pressure © Getty Images

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Stuart Broad came under heavy criticism for the much-debated incident of him not walking back to the pavilion despite getting a thick edge at Trent Bridge in England this year. However, he who has shown on numerous occasions that he thrives under pressure. Bharath Ramaraj looks at the much-talked about cricketer from England who floored Australia into submission on the first day at the Gabba by taking all the first four wickets to fall.
 
When England won the Ashes in 2010-11, James Anderson like a crouching cheetah teased and tempted Australian batsmen into well-set traps. He proved to be the telling difference between both sides. However, it didn’t turn out to be a good tour for one of the towering giants in the England set-up — Stuart Broad. He took just one wicket in two Tests, got injured and disappointingly flew back home.
 
Broad though, is someone who takes pride in his performances and would have been hurting underneath after his disappointing showing in the Ashes 2010-11. In the ongoing first Test match played at the Gabba, he has turned it around by taking all the first four wickets to fall.
 
Actually, ever since Broad has arrived on the shores of Australia with his teammates, he has been welcomed by a rather hostile reception, especially from the Australian media. It all started with him not walking back to the pavilion despite getting a thick edge at Trent Bridge which was caught in the slips by Michael Clarke. On expected lines, he has been hit by a barrage of criticism and snide jokes in Australia. But Broad is a cricketer who seems to do well when he is under the pump and that is what he has exactly done on the first day at The Gabba.
 
Unlike Anderson, Broad can’t be called as an ultra-consistent pacer who hits good lengths all the time. However, when he is on a roll, there are few bowlers going around who can cause destruction by taking a slew of wickets like him.
 
Indian fans would remember with not so fond memories of how he just ripped-open their batting line-up at Trent Bridge, during their tour of England in 2011. He did something similar to Australia in the crucial Ashes Test match played at Oval in 2009, when with a breathtaking spell of seam and swing bowling, he sent Australia hurtling towards a massive defeat. Recently, when New Zealand was chasing down a modest total against England at the well-manicured lawns of Lord’s cricket ground, it was yet again Broad who proved to be the telling difference by bowling a crackerjack spell and taking a seven wicket haul.
 
In fact, when Broad runs into bowl, there is a bit of mongrel about him. On the first day at The Gabba, he bowled aggressively and tested Australian batsmen with well-directed bouncers to leave them in tatters.
 
Broad has also forged a fine bowling partnership with his partner-in-crime — Anderson. They complement each other well. Anderson with his banana-bending swinging deliveries can be a threat on most tracks. He has remarkably improved his ability to generate movement off the pitch and reverse the old ball. Anderson also keeps it tight when there is little in the track for seamers. On the other end of the spectrum, Broad can push the batsmen back by banging it short which in turn helps Anderson to find the edge of a tentative batsman already pushed onto the back-foot. It has to be said that Broad has other weapons up his sleeve too. He especially, can seam the ball off the pitch appreciably.
 
Yes, Broad has had his problems with his left ankle and has many times been sidelined due to the troublesome injury as well. But with so much cricket being played around the world, injuries have become a part and parcel of any pacer. So, it is hard to criticise Broad for the injuries he has suffered.
 
It is perhaps better for the Australian media and their players not to stir up Stuart Broad for rest of the series. Here is one cricketer who thrives on animosity from the opposition ranks.
 
(Bharath Ramaraj, an MBA in marketing, eats, drinks and sleeps cricket. He has played at school and college-level, and now channelises his passion for the game by writing about it)

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