Stuart Broad refuses to pick between Joe Root, Shubman Gill at first, but final decision leaves Jos Buttler shellshocked

Hindustan Times

4 hours ago

Legendary paceman Stuart Broad has picked his combined playing XI from the recently concluded five-Test series between India and England, in which he snubbed the highest run-getter Shubman Gill. Broad, who was commentating during the series, had a ringside view of the action, allowing him to closely follow the fiercely contested battles that unfolded across all 25 days. The series ended in a 2-2 draw on the final day of the fifth Test, with Mohammed Siraj uprooting Gus Atkinson's off-stump to help India claim a 6-run win at the Oval. It was a series dominated by the batters with 21 centuries scored in it, but in the end, it was the bowlers who had the final say, with Siraj being the standout of all. Shubman Gill and Joe Root were the top-two run getters in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.(AP)
Broad's blended lineup, which he picked on 'For The Love of Cricket' podcast during a chat with Jos Buttler, showcased the players who made decisive impacts on matches. He didn't pick any of the English openers in the XI and went ahead with the Indian pair of KL Rahul and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Duckett played a crucial role in England Headingley's triumph, scoring a century during the big chase. However, after that, his performance dipped a bit as he failed to convert the starts into big scores. Meanwhile, the Indian pair displayed solid consistency throughout the series, especially KL Rahul, who scored 532 runs and filled the big shoes of Rohit Sharma at the top of the order.
The English players acquired the next four spots in Broad's lineup: Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, and Ben Stokes. Pope got the edge over Sai Sudharsan and Karun Nair despite scoring just 306 runs. The Indian batters in contention failed to show any consistency and were also in and out of side.
Meanwhile, Shubman Gill, who scored 754 runs and was named Player of the Series, was the big omission from the XI. Broad picked Root over him, which also surprised Buttler.
When Buttler asked the English pace great to pick between Buttler and Gill, he said, 'Ohh piss off, you want me to choose between Root and Gill, I can see the headlines now. Shubman Gill has just scored the most runs as a Test captain behind Don Bradman in a series, and Joe Root has gone second on the all-time list, scoring 3 centuries back to back and scored his 39th Test ton.'
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Buttler insisted Broad to make the call, and then the former pacer said, "Well, only because I've got Joe Root's mobile number and don't want the abuse, so I'm gonna go Joe Root."
The former English captain was shocked by Broad's pick and replied, 'Unbelievable. I can't believe that.'
Rishabh Pant, despite suffering a fracture during the Manchester Test, was preferred over Jamie Smith, whose promising start to the series was followed by a lack of consistency. His struggles outside off-stump were exposed by the Indian batters at the Oval.
No Ravindra Jadeja in Broad's XI
Another big omission from Broad's XI was Ravindra Jadeja, who was not chosen in his XI, despite the senior all-rounder scoring 516 runs, including five fifties and a century, as Broad felt he was not up to the mark with the ball. However, he did pick Washington Sundar on his side.
Completing the lineup, Broad opted for a fearsome fast-bowling trio. Jofra Archer adds raw pace and adaptability, Mohammed Siraj brings relentless energy and aggression, while Jasprit Bumrah stands out with his unmatched control and swing.
Stuart Broad's combined XI from India vs England series: Yashasvi Jaiswal, KL Rahul, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Jofra Archer, Mohammed Siraj, Jasprit Bumrah