Chester-le-Street, Sept 5: As the England team head to Southampton for the second ODI of the five-match series against India, Stuart Broad is confident that the host’s pace battery will continue to trouble the Indians despite proving to be expensive at the Riverside ground.
"I don't think you can over-use it [short-pitched bowling] - it's a major wicket-taking option and we've got to balance the risk of going for four [seamers] with the potential rewards," Broad was quoted as saying.
"It will certainly be worth using [the fast bowlers] at the Rose Bowl where the pitches we've used for the Test match and ODIs have been pretty quick. If the wicket on Tuesday is similar, the bouncer will be a legitimate tactic again,” England’s T20I skipper stated.
"We've got a full battery of pace bowlers in the squad, and although you need to adjust your skills with slower balls and yorkers against a powerful batting line-up like India, I'm a believer in adapting to the conditions,” he added.
"If it's a fast, bouncy wicket, that means using your bouncer – and hopefully the groundsman will help us out," he said while discussing the pitch at The Rose Bowl.
Speaking about the injury that has ruled Rohit Sharma out of the series, he said, "You never like to see a professional get injured, but this is a brutal sport and it certainly hit Rohit hard."
"Out there you could obviously hear his screams, and when the physio got hold of him it looked quite badly dislocated as well,” he said.
"The ball kissed the surface, hit his finger on the leather side of the glove and when it happened I thought he would be on a flight home,” he added.
"He's a dangerous player in the one-dayers, and it's obviously a shame for him, but from an England point of view it could be beneficial – as it was when we turned up for the opening match of the series and Sachin Tendulkar wasn't on India's team sheet," Broad said.
"He's played 450-odd ODIs and they are bound to miss a player of his calibre and experience.
"But we still think he will play a part in the series and we'll have to be ready for him when that happens."
