India in England: Stuart Broad Proud to Join 'Exclusive Test Club'
Stuart Broad and James Anderson have taken their combined tally of Test wickets past 500, becoming only the third fast bowling pair -- after Walsh and Ambrose and Wasim and Waqar -- to do so.
Stuart Broad says he's elated to have joined some of his cricket heroes as he and England new-ball partner James Anderson became only the third pace pair to take a combined 500 Test wickets. Broad finished the third day of the third Test against India at Southampton with 3 for 65 and Anderson took 3 for 52. (Day 3 Report | Day 3 Highlights)
Their efforts helped reduce India to 323 for 8 in reply to England's first innings 569 for seven declared, a deficit of 246 runs. (Moeen Ali lets his cricket do the talking)
It also meant the England duo found themselves in the company of Pakistan's Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and the West Indies' Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in being the only pace bowling pairs to have an aggregate total of 500 or more Test wickets. (Ian Bell hurts thumb while fielding, sent for scans)
"To go into the company of Wasim and Waqar, and Courtney and Curtly is a huge honour," said Broad after stumps on Tuesday.
"They were four heroes of mine growing up," the 28-year-old son of former England opening batsman Chris Broad added.
"I think it shows the value of partnerships when bowling. Jimmy and I constantly talk on and off the field even though we have played a lot of cricket. I will still ask Jimmy at the end of an over what he thinks," said Broad, now in his 72nd Test.
"We work together really tightly. It's a great feeling to know we have 500 together."
England came into this match having gone 10 successive Tests without a win, with much of the talk centred on how senior players such as batsmen Alastair Cook and Ian Bell were struggling for runs, while Anderson and Broad had often looked both physically and mentally tired.
By contrast, England newcomers such as Sam Robson, Gary Ballance and Moeen Ali had provided the highlights for the hosts during their 1-0 home series defeat by Sri Lanka and at the start of this five-match campaign with India, who are 1-0 up after a 95-run win at Lord's last time out.
However, the seasoned campaigners have weighed in for England so far in this match, with Bell top-scoring with 167 and Cook making 95.