Stuart Broad in race against time to be fit for India Tests
England's quintessential enforcer and fast bowler Stuart Broad joins bowling partner James Anderson in the list of injury concerns that will worry their side ahead of the Test series against the #1 ICC ranked side, India. Broad had to walk off the field during Nottinghamshire's Championship match against Worcestershire last week due to persistent pain in his left ankle.
Since then, however, Broad has had numerous scans to identify the cause, but nothing serious has come up, and in the meantime, he has been nursing the injury through painkilling injections. "I've had some injections in my left ankle for an ongoing ligament problem," Broad revealed in a post on Instagram.
Prescribed a five-day rest, Broad will make a comeback to competitive cricket when he features in the Championship match against Surrey at Trent Bridge that starts on July 22. A week and a half prior to the opening Test match against India at Birmingham on August 1, Broad's main goal will be to regain match fitness more than anything and to be able to hit his bowling stride after a considerably long layoff during the cricketing season.
On the other hand, Anderson will play two matches ahead of the Test series - one a 2nd XI match and another a Championship match against Yorkshire - as he looks to get back to fitness. But the plans to select either of Broad or Anderson for either an England Lions match against India A or in Surrey's side to play West Indies A have been abandoned.
In case Broad does not recover well in time, Sam Curran will probably play alongside Anderson and Chris Woakes, who also is recovering from an injury. He filled in for Ben Stokes in the second Test against Pakistan at Headingley and with a good start to his ODI career as well, he looks prepared for international cricket and might get an extended run in Test matches.