It was a moment to forget for England bowling legend Stuart Broad, as the right-arm seamer bowled the worst over in Test match history against India. Broad had ball in hand towards the end of the visitors’ innings with India sat on 377-9.
The England opener was no doubt keen to find the final wicket in order to get his side to the crease to begin their chase of India’s first innings total. Things however took a dramatic turn, as Broad’s over ended up being the most costly in Test history after going for a record 35 runs.
The 36-year-old was charging into India captain and tail-ender Jasprit Bumrah, who boasts a lowly Test match batting average of 6.2.
What followed though took everybody - including the India skipper - inside Edgbaston by surprise as the visitors notched up some precious end of innings runs. Broad bowled his first ball of the over short in Bumrah, which the visitors’ captain pulled away nicely behind square for four.
The England bowler’s plan did not change though, as he once again went in short but once again found his delivery bounding to the rope. This time Broad’s bouncer evaded both batsman and wicket keeper, as it ran away for a costly five wides. Despite the chaotic start, the Nottinghamshire seamer continued to go short, and the ball continued to disappear to the boundary, as Bumrah flashed one for six over fine leg.
Once again though, Broad was forced to bowl the delivery again as umpire Aleem Dar followed up his signal for six by issuing a no ball. Looking to change things up Broad then looked to go full, but proved too full as the India skipper pumped a full toss from the England opener down the ground for four.
Having bowled just two legal deliveries, the 36-year-old had gone for 20 runs off just two balls, and the damage was not done there. Up next a wild swing from Bumrah saw a wicked inside edge race to the fine leg boundary, before he added another four pulled away to square leg to level the record at 28 runs still with two balls to bowl.
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Bumrah then etched his name into the history books in style, as he once again pulled one over the leg side - this time for six to clinch the record of most runs scored in an over. After all of that, there was still time for some more drama on the final ball, as Bumrah looked to squeeze a single which left both Broad and non-striker Mohammed Siraj diving to the ground in attempted run out, however the Indian No. 11 was deemed to be safe following a review.
India’s frantic finish finally came to an end soon after, as Sirag was dismissed for two, whilst Bumrah finished unbeaten on 31* off 16 balls. Since then, England have endured a tricky start losing both Alex Lees and Zak Crawley to leave them 31/2 before the teams were called off for rain.
