Learned bowling tricks from Zaheer: Broad

England seamer Stuart Broad on Sunday 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 a some variable bounce. I was able to use the cutters a bit more. It makes the inswing and reverse swing more dangerous.”

He also mentioned that he needs time to recover from his damaged tendon on the right foot, indicating that he is all set to miss the third Test against India in Mohali starting November 19. 

“It has been a pretty sore Test match, in my second over I dived for the ball and my toe sort of slipped the wrong way and I have done damage to the tendon which is a bit awkward. But if that happens in the second over you have no option but to keep playing,” he said about his injury.

Despite the strain that he suffered on Saturday, Broad returned impressive figures of 4/33 on the fourth and penultimate day of the second Test here.