"For Cooky to be brave enough to put catchers there made this possible - any mistake for the batsmen was just out," says Broad during Trent Bridge watchalong
Saturday 23 May 2020 16:29, UK
Eight wickets for 15 runs in 9.3 overs.
Stuart Broad picked up career-best figures on a staggering morning at Trent Bridge in August 2015 as England razed Australia for just 60 to take an iron-clad grip on the Ashes urn.
On a special watchalong of the opening session of the fourth Ashes Test five years ago, Broad reflected on his dazzling spell on his home ground in the absence of the injured James Anderson.
"It was an amazing feeling, especially being at Trent Bridge, somewhere where I have got such great connections," Broad told Sky Sports Cricket.
"It was a bit of a daze up until Joe Root walked off at the end of the day when it was game done [England were 274-4 and leading by 214].
"I never expected to be having a cup of tea watching Alastair Cook walk out to bat pre-lunch having bowled."
Read below to hear Broad discuss his 300th Test wicket, Ben Stokes' stunning, one-handed catch, why he did not take the most important wicket of the day, and bowling to left-handers...
On making Chris Rogers his first victim of the day and 300th of his Test career…
"Shane Warne walked past me just before the toss and said, 'this could be a bowl-first day'. That was coming from the most bat-first person in the world! I was nervous [opening the bowling]. It was the first time I ever bowled the first ball of the Test match, the first time I ever had to set the tone. It was nice to get [the 300th Test wicket] early, but I don't remember the 300th being on my mind, it was more about setting the tone without Jimmy. Looking back you see how attacking we were with the fields. For Cooky to be brave enough to put catchers there made this possible - any mistake for the batsmen was just out."
On why Mark Wood getting David Warner out was the "biggest wicket of the day…"
"I always find with Warner that if there is movement in the pitch and you are searching for an area, he goes after the fuller ball and is so dangerous. He hits width when it is swinging very well. To get him for nought was huge - you could see the celebrations from everyone. I think that was the biggest wicket of the day."
On his plans to Australia captain Michael Clarke…
"When I was a bit younger, I had a bit of success with the short ball against him. I felt that if I had a short leg, it just affected his footwork slightly, that if I could get him expecting it, then that brought the fuller ball into the equation. I remember he pulled Woody and we said on this pitch and with the pressure Australia were under, we weren't sure the short ball was the way to go. [For the wicket ball], the plan was to go a bit fuller having pretended I was going to bowl a short ball. I had done the old 'I'm going to bowl a bouncer here, everyone!'"
On dismissing Shaun Marsh and bowling to left-handers…
"Marsh came hard at the ball, liked to feel bat on ball, so we thought that he would push quite hard. [The ball did] the perfect amount. As bowlers, we never want the ball to nip a long way, we want it to nip half a bat's width, that's when it's so dangerous. I hadn't bowled that much around the wicket before this series but the wickets of Marsh and Rogers gave me lot of confidence. It was exactly what I was looking to do - hold the seam up straight, target off stump and bring batsmen forward."
On Ben Stokes' stunning slip catch to remove Adam Voges - and subsequently losing his run-up…
"Stokesy has this finger that we call 'The Claw. He badly broke it when he was younger and it is almost double the thickness of a normal finger. I genuinely think it helps the ball stick in his hand! The 2019 World Cup catch [at the Oval, against South Africa] was awesome but I think this one for reaction, for instinct was so special. I don't know if it was the emotion of seeing Stokes take that catch but I lost my run-up. I was stood at my mark forgetting whether I go off my left foot or right. It sounds ridiculous! Fortunately, I got it back in the next over. If I ever feel like I have lost my rhythm, I sing a random song as it stops me thinking."
On being desperate to wrap up the Australia innings...
"I have memories of frustration of that day. I remember when I got Johnson or Starc out that it felt like they had got 70 each and it had been overs and overs. I remember feeling relief - that came from how quick things had happened in the first six overs and how it then felt everything was happening quite slowly. What you also didn't want was the last two whacking 30 each as we still didn't know what a good score was. If they got 130 and we got 150 the game was still wide open. We wanted to finish the innings as quickly as possible."
If you look at these conditions and the beautiful length Broady bowled all the way through – always trying to push it fuller and get people coming forward. - if Anderson had been partnering him, I probably wouldn’t ever have got the ball in my hand!
On his devastating spells for England in Test cricket…
"The more experienced I have got I think I can pick up on certain things I am looking for to try and replicate. Conditions plays a big part a lot of the time, they sometimes suit my strengths. A lot is also to do with the run-up - I feel I need energy and my knees picking up in a certain way. One thing when I have picked up these wickets in groups is that my mind is always so clear. I am not thinking too much about what I am doing, about setting batsmen up, so to speak. I'm just running in, doing the basics well and making batsmen play. It's frustrating as you'd love to be able to bowl spells like this every day."
Watch the whole of the 2015 Trent Bridge Test - which England won to regain the Ashes - on Sky Sports Cricket over the Bank Holiday Weekend.
