'Marathon man' Broad eyes one last chance to sign off with a win

In an era when most players are moving away from Tests, the England pacer lived for the buzz that only a 5-day match brings

- Ashish Magotra

NEW DELHI: The most exciting Ashes series in recent history will roll into the final day thanks to rain ruining most of Day 4 on Sunday. Also rolling into the last day will be Stuart Broad's remarkable 17-year career.

The 37-year-old fast bowler has played 167 Tests, 121 ODIS and 56 T20Is, taking 845* wickets. And it doesn't take a genius to figure out which format he came to love the most. In an era when most players are moving away from Tests, Broad lived for the buzz that only a five-day match can bring.

"I am addicted to Test cricket," he said after becoming only the second fast bowler to take 600 wickets. "I like the grit and competitive nature of it. It's great to be on that list with some of the greats of the game."

One of the game's fiercest competitors, Broad is the kind of bowler who could often look innocuous for large swathes of the innings. Nothing, it would seem, was happening for him or the team. Then suddenly, he would find a burst of inspiration to work up a storm.

If Jimmy Anderson, his longtime partner in crime, was consistency personified, then Broad was a runaway train. Few Aussies will forget his career-best 8/15 against Australia at Trent Bridge in the 2015 Ashes. He got his five-wicket haul in just 19 balls and went on to demolish the visitors.

How England will hope for a repeat on Day 5. It may not happen, but Broad will run in as hard as he can and Australia will know that with him, one wicket can turn into two so easily. He has always been the kind of bowler who needs a wicket to kick into an even higher gear. The more wickets he got, the more unplayable he seemed to become.