Broad puts hat-trick heroics down to collective endeavour

After his counter-attacking 64 on Friday, Broad produced an irresistible spell with the second new ball.

Rahul Dravid (117) and Yuvraj Singh (62) appeared to be putting the tourists in an impregnable position.

But like a latter-day Ian Botham, Broad raised the stakes with his all-round skills – taking five wickets for no runs, including a hat-trick, on his way to a career-best 6-46.

India descended from 267-4 to 288 all out, and a lead of only 67 before England reached stumps on day two of a mesmeric contest on 24-1 in their second innings.

After the 25-year-old’s first hat-trick since his schooldays a decade ago, completed when he knocked back tailender Praveen Kumar’s off-stump, he happily put his latest achievement into context.

“I think it’s my third,” he said.

“But we’re going back to Oakham School Under-15s for my last one.

“It was a nice feeling. I’m pretty glad that hit the top of off.

“The atmosphere wasn’t quite as good at school, with the parents watching.

“It was important to get those wickets quickly, and to get a hat-trick within that is very special.

“When you’ve got all your family and friends at the ground, it’s always special.

“But it won’t mean much if we don’t go on and win this Test match.”

Broad saw his success as reward for England’s collective endeavour.

“It was about building the pressure, and we knew wickets would fall for us in quick succession for us at some stage.

“Obviously, we (Kevin Pietersen) dropped Yuvraj when he was on four. That was a little bit of a concern at one stage, when he and Dravid were playing brilliantly.

“We knew that new-ball period was going to be a huge hour for us.

“Straussy (captain Andrew Strauss) asked at tea if we could all raise our intensity to put some pressure on.

“The crowd were fantastic. The way they lifted us with that second new ball meant it was quite a fearsome atmosphere for the Indian batsmen to come into.

“We’ve got ourselves back in this game, nicking the last session again. We’re fighting hard.

“If we can bat big tomorrow – we need one guy to get a hundred, and a big one -– we’ll be right in the game. I think bowling last on that wicket can be a big advantage for us.”

Broad modestly nominated Tim Bresnan’s second wicket – that of Dravid – as the most important of six that fell in as many overs.

“Seeing Dravid going, caught at third-man, was probably the most popular of all the wickets because he’s been so hard to bowl at.

“We’ve got ourselves in a decent position, but it’s up to us to build on it and grab the momentum.”

Broad’s bowling put the rest of another very eventful day in the shade.

There was anger – Graeme Swann reprimanded for kicking the wickets down in frustration at his own bowling – pain for Jonathan Trott, cleared of bone damage to his shoulder after falling in the field, and controversy after VVS Laxman (54) remained not out caught-behind on 27 via DRS.

“All of our players thought that was quite a clear edge,” said Broad.

“But Hotspot’s not really shown up the faint edges – which is a bit of a flaw, I think.”

Pietersen queried the decision most vociferously.

“It was just a question of ‘what did it hit?’ – and the answer that came back was not what KP thought it was,” added Broad, who was able to refute suggestions that Vaseline on Laxman’s bat had made Hotspot ineffective.

“It’s just one of those things. I actually sarcastically had a cheeky feel of his edge when the ball went past.

“There was no Vaseline, no liquids or anything on there. I think it was just the Hotspot not showing the very faint edge.”

Dravid, meanwhile, went level with India great Sunil Gavaskar on 34 Test centuries.

He said: “It is fantastic to share something with the legend.

“I don’t compare myself with Mr Gavaskar – he is an absolute legend of the game – but I grew up as a kid in a generation Gavaskar and (Gundappa) Viswanath were big heroes for us.

“In all my backyard games of cricket, I was either a Gavaskar or a Viswanath. So for me to be able to equal something that he has done is truly fantastic.”

* England spinner Swann was reprimanded after kicking the stumps at the non-striker’s end as Rahul Dravid brought up his hundred.

Swann kicked the base and knocked off the bails after conceding 14 runs in the over as Dravid played a neat sweep for his 13th four.

The ICC revealed Swann was found to have breached Article 2.1.2 of the code which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during an international match.

Swann admitted the offence and accepted the sanction from Ranjan Madugalle, the match referee, and did not have to attend a formal hearing.

NOTTS ALL-ROUNDER FOLLOWING IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ILLUSTRIOUS TRIO OF YORKSHIREMEN SIDEBOTTOM, HOGGARD AND GOUGH...

STUART BROAD’S hat-trick on Saturday was the first by an England bowler against India.

It also brought to an end a remarkable run of Yorkshiremen recording the feat for their country.

Ryan Sidebottom, left, Matthew Hoggard and Darren Gough, right, were the last three to claim a hat-trick before Broad became the 12th Englishman to record the feat in Test cricket.

Sidebottom struck against New Zealand at Hamilton in 2007-08, albeit after moving to Nottinghamshire. The left-arm swing bowler was assisted by Alastair Cook’s gully catches to dismiss the loose-driving Fleming and Sinclair, and by Oram’s slow footwork.

Hoggard had take his against the West Indies at Bridgetown in 2003-04. His swing reduced the hosts’ second innings to 45-5 by dismissing Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shiv Chanderpaul and Ryan Hinds. England won, and went 3-0 up.

Gough had famously taken his against Australia at Sydney in 1998-09. His reverse-swing accounted for Ian Healy and tailenders Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller but was not enough to save England from another defeat.

The first England hat-trick was also taken by a Yorkshire player in 1882-83. Off-spinner Billy Bates struck against Australia in Melbourne, taking 14 wickets in the match to level the series at 1-1 on a damp and helpful pitch.

Other England hat-trick heroes:

* Johnny Briggs v Australia at Sydney in 1891-2

* George Lohmann v South Africa at Port Elizabeth in 1895-6.

* Jack Hearne v Australia at Leeds in 1899.

* Maurice Allom v New Zealand at Christchurch in 1929-30.

* Tom Goddard v South Africa at Johannesburg in 1938-9.

* Peter Loader v West Indies at Leeds in 1957.

* Dominic Cork v West Indies at Manchester in 1995.