Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad has expressed his disappointment over the conduct of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant during the ongoing first Test match between India and England at Leeds. Both players scored brilliant centuries in the second innings—Rahul made 137 runs while Pant contributed 118. However, Broad believes the duo were deliberately taking too much time between deliveries, which could have frustrated the England bowlers.
Stuart Broad Expresses His Concerns
While commentating, Broad said, “The England bowlers must be getting really annoyed. Both Indian batters were taking excessive time after every ball. Umpires need to be reminded that the bowling side is ready, and the batters should not be allowed to delay the game unnecessarily. Personally, I would tell the batters to be ready by the time I reach my run-up. Rahul was adjusting the field and Carse had to wait an extra 10 seconds. I think the umpires need to take this seriously.”
Fellow commentator Mel Jones agreed, saying, “This isn’t ideal. We grew up watching the game knowing the batters should be ready when the bowler is about to deliver the ball. This seems like a tactic to disrupt the rhythm, and it could be part of India’s strategy to slow down the game.”
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Crucial Fifth Day Ahead
In this match, India posted 471 runs in their first innings, while England replied with 465. In the second innings, India scored 364, with other contributions coming from Karun Nair (20), Sai Sudharsan (30), and Ravindra Jadeja (25). For England, Josh Tongue and Brydon Carse took three wickets each in India’s second innings. By stumps on Day 4, England had reached 21 without loss and still require 350 more runs. The fifth day of the match is set to be crucial for both sides.
