Broad leads England rout of India

MANCHESTER: Stuart Broad took six wickets as India were bowled out for just 152 before tea on the first day of the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford on Thursday.

Broad finished with figures of six for 25 in 13.4 overs, his third-best innings return in Tests, including a post-lunch burst of four for six in 21 balls.

Meanwhile, new-ball partner James Anderson took three for 46 in 14 overs on his Lancashire home ground.

India equalled the record of six ducks in a Test innings, with three of their top four batsmen out for nought. But given they had been eight for four, India´s final score represented something of a recovery.

India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who won the toss and elected to bat despite the initially overcast conditions, led from the front by top-scoring with 71.The only other batsmen to make it into double figures were the recalled Ravichandran Ashwin (40) and Ajinkya Rahane (24).

All of India´s first four wickets fell with their score on eight, a quartet of batsmen dismissed in the space of 13 balls. Gautam Gambhir was first to go when he nicked Broad to Joe Root in the gully.

Anderson, who started the match just 12 wickets shy of Ian Botham´s England record of 383 Test wickets, got his line and length right in the fifth over.

He took two wickets for no runs in three balls as both opener Murali Vijay and Virat Kohli fell for ducks after edging to England captain Alastair Cook at first slip. Cheteshwar Pujara also exited for nought when he got an outside edge off Broad and Jordan held a fine catch at third slip. India were now eight for four inside six overs.

Rahane and Dhoni then repaired some of the early damage.But a fifth-wicket stand worth 54 ended when Rahane edged Jordan to Ian Bell at second slip.

At lunch, India were 63 for five with Dhoni 25 not out and Jadeja yet to score. Jadeja soon was lbw to Anderson, after an inswinger beat the left-hander´s defence. But a stand worth 66 ended when Ashwin, playing his first Test of the year, top-edged a hook off Broad and was caught at square leg by Sam Robson having made 40 in just 42 balls.

Dhoni completed a 115-ball fifty when he cover-drove all-rounder Chris Woakes for his 11th four. And 152 for nine became 152 all out when Broad bowled last man Pankaj Singh for nought, India losing 10 wickets in under four hours and fewer than 47 overs. (AFP)