Michael Vaughan hails Stuart Broad for 600 Test wickets: I was his captain that gave him his first Test cap

By India Today Sports Desk: Former English skipper Michael Vaughan went down the memory lane to the time when he gave Stuart Broad his maiden Test cap way back in December 2007 against Sri Lanka at the Sinhalese Sports Club in Colombo.

16 years after his debut in the purest format, Broad became the fifth bowler after Muttiah Muralitharan, Shane Warne, James Anderson and Anil Kumble to pick up 600 wickets.

Broad went into the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in Manchester with 598 wickets to his name. In the final session on Day 1, Broad dismissed Travis Head to get to the milestone. Earlier in the day, Broad also accounted for the prized scalp of Usman Khawaja.

“What an effort from Broad, I was his captain that gave him his first Test cap in Sri Lanka and now 16 years later he’s got to 600,” Vaughan was quoted as saying to the BBC.

Another former English skipper, Michael Atherton, also lauded Broad for always willing to learn something.

“Even with all the wickets he has taken, he was working on a new delivery ahead of the season, the out-swinger. He is always trying to get better. That is why he is so high on that wicket-takers list. A constant search for improvement,” Atherton told Sky Cricket.

Broad’s prowess was on full display during the ongoing Ashes series. He was chosen over Mark Wood for the first Ashes Test, which started on June 16, a decision that puzzled some but proved to be a wise one.

Broad has played 35 Ashes Tests and dismissed 131 batters in the series until now, demonstrating his exceptional skill and consistency.