Learned to surprise batsmen from Zaheer: Broad

Learned to surprise batsmen from Zaheer: Broad

Visakhapatnam: England seamer Stuart Board today said he has learned a few tricks from former India pace spearhead Zaheer Khan about how to excel on the sub-continent pitches.

Broad picked up Zaheer's advice during the team's last trip to the country four years ago.

"I remember Zaheer Khan was very good at it, bowling slightly off pace, and then really surprise you with a quick inswinger. That's something Jimmy and I talked about. Try to get batsmen bowl at slightly slow pace, then hit with a quicker pace at the stumps. Jimmy did that to Pujara. That seems to be the plan and it helped on a wearing pitch," Broad said after the end of fourth day's play in the second Test against India.

Broad delivered a couple of accurate leg-cutters to dismiss Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin en route to figures of 4/33 in the second innings against India who were dismissed for 204 in 63.1 overs.

"Leg-cutters probably have been quite a good ball for me probably for three to four years. It helped bowling on an old pitch. I felt the pitch was a bit worn, with some variable bounce. I was able to use the cutters a bit more. It makes the inswing and reverse swing more dangerous."

Notably, Broad’s new ball partner James Anderson had also acknowledged about learning to hide the ball while running in, from Zaheer Khan.