By Sunil Gavaskar
Stuart Broad got England back in the Test with a burst of terrific seam bowling during which he picked a hatrick as well. Before he got the second new ball to hum around, the Indians looked as if they were taking total control of the match especially when Dravid and Yuvraj were having that massive partnership. Yuvraj capitalised on the life he got early in his innings to get a half-century full of crisp shots that took the pressure off Rahul Dravid and allowed him to play his anchor role to perfection.
Dravid got his second century of the series and it was a superb example of how to construct a Test match innings. He was patient , he was determined and he was happy to take the blows on his hand , body for India’s sake. How often has he played such a selfless innings for India. When he walks out to bat it looks as if it is not a cricket bat in his hand but the Indian tricolour that he wants to wave proudly over his head. While he is at the crease not just the dressing room but also Indian cricket supporters breathe easy. They know that India is safe and secure while he is there. He and his old mate VVS Laxman had to play the important role on the second morning to ensure that England did not get the early breakthrough and it was only near lunch that Laxman was consumed by a delivery that bounced and left him. Here is another underrated player who gives India so much but has not got adequate returns from the supporters. This is of course something that happens in every sport where there is the presence of another player who dwarfs all around him. Look what Tiger Woods does to other golfers, see how Roger Federer stops talk of any other players however great they maybe. That has been the lot of Dravid and Laxman to be in the shadows of Sachin Tendulkar. They don’t mind it of course because it allows them to carry on their job without the burden of expectations that Tendulkar bears. They have their own pressures too and how capably they have dealt with those over the years. The Indian dressing room is lucky to have players of such class and calibre with them and if the youngsters are not learning from them, then one can only pity them for they are getting free learning experience that can stand them in great stead in their careers.
Broad was almost on the verge of being dropped for the first Test but managed to retain his place and with the haul of wickets as well as batting handily he has now become the principal player for England. He has become the game changer, be it with his partnership with Prior at Lords in the second innings or with Greame Swann in the first innings here. He has with the ball rattled the Indian lower order too and not let them hang about. If England win this Test then they owe him a big thanks for his bold batting and his incisive bowling.