Tireless Stuart Broad scales another peak against Australia in 4th Ashes Test

On Day 1 at Old Trafford, the England bowler became only the second pacer to claim 600 Test wickets

It’s not always easy to warm up to Stuart Broad. He is often guilty of breaking into a celebrappeal (when an appeal morphs into a celebration without bothering to look back at the umpire for his verdict), pleads innocence even when a thick outside edge has ricocheted off the keeper to first slip and routinely gets under the skin of the opposition. For all his histrionics and indiscretions though, what one can't ignore is that he is a mighty fine bowler capable of changing a game in the course of a spell.

England's Stuart Broad, right, celebrates the dismissal of Australia's Travis Head (AP)

On Wednesday — the first day of the fourth Ashes Test at Old Trafford in Manchester — the England pace bowler reached the milestone of 600 Test wickets, which is merely more evidence of his skill, shrewdness and tireless service. He is only the second pacer ever to reach this mark, following his close friend and compatriot James Anderson to the landmark number.

That his 600th wicket should be the in-form Travis Head, threatening to take the game away with a knock of 48 in quick time, was fitting, for the 37-year-old's Test career has been defined by his uncanny ability to get the key scalp. Australia, sent in by England captain Ben Stokes, ended the day on 299/8. While Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh hit 51 runs each, Chris Woakes stepped up for England with a four-wicket haul.

Often consigned to being in the shadow of Anderson, it was perhaps also apt that Broad should seize the spotlight on Anderson's home turf. As soon as Head succumbed to the short-ball trap — his pull carrying to Joe Root at deep backward square leg — Broad's arms went up in jubilation. Seconds later, he raised the ball in acknowledgement of the standing ovation from the Old Trafford crowd. He deserved every bit of the applause coming his way.

At a time when pace bowlers are increasingly gravitating towards the shorter formats — there is more money and far less workload — Broad’s inclination to toil in Test cricket is commendable. Like Anderson, his methods are clearly more suited to the longer format, but to still have the desire to put his body through the grind after 16 years and 165 Tests can't be taken lightly.

By claiming Head's wicket, Broad also surpassed Ian Botham for the most Test wickets by an England bowler against Australia — 149 in 39 Tests at an average of 28.67. It is a vindication of Broad’s ability to raise his game against the old enemy.

While Broad wasn't at his best at Old Trafford on Day 1, he has been England's most reliable bowler right through this series. Which is why he has played all four Tests so far even as the other pacers have been rested and rotated. That he didn't quite hit his stride on Wednesday is reflected in his bowling figures of 14-0-68-2, providing ample scoring opportunities for an economy rate of 4.85.

But England wouldn’t mind as long as Broad keeps making inroads. Beginning the morning session from the Brian Statham End, he was a tad wayward with his line in particularly his opening spell. Yet he accounted for Usman Khawaja by bringing one back in from around the wicket to trap the opener leg-before wicket.

It was just a subtle change in line and length that led to Khawaja’s undoing. And subtlety is essentially what Broad’s bowling is all about. He isn't as fine a swing exponent as Anderson or as quick as Mark Wood, but what he has in abundance is bowling smarts. Often with Broad, it’s about using different release points or creating an illusion of swing when there’s none.

Also instrumental to Broad’s long career has been a keenness to constantly upgrade his armoury. Primarily a seam bowler, Broad has seldom stagnated or stayed content. That explains the addition of the wobble-seam ball to his repertoire in recent years.

In April, during a County game for Nottinghamshire against Middlesex, Broad also said that he had tweaked his bowling action to make his outswinger more potent.

"It's designed, to be honest, for Marnus (Labuschagne) and (Steve) Smith," Broad had said. "It's the reason I wanted to change something, to try and bring their outside edge in more.

"My stock delivery will always be wobble seam trying to nip back on off stump, because I think that's the most dangerous ball. But to those guys, I think dragging them across with away swing is important. So this action tweak is pretty much designed at those two, and it was good to see it really swinging away."

The change, however small, has already served Broad well. He’s not only the top wicket-taker in the series with 18 scalps at an average of 25.94 but has also managed to execute the downfall of Labuschagne and Smith at different times in exactly the manner desired.