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OTD In 2015: Stuart Broad Made Australia See Ghosts In The Ashes With Ruthless 8/15

Jatin

Stuart Broad bowled a spell for the ages [Source: AFP Photos]Stuart Broad bowled a spell for the ages [Source: AFP Photos]

Ten years ago, on August 6, 2015, at a buzzing Trent Bridge, Stuart Broad delivered a spell so brilliant, so freakishly good, it sent shockwaves through the cricketing world and left Australia shell-shocked. It wasn’t just a match-winning performance, it was an Ashes moment for the ages.

The Day Stuart Broad Turned Trent Bridge Into A Graveyard For Aussies

England went on to thrash Australia by an innings and 78 runs but that wasn’t the real story. The real tale? Stuart Broad’s 8/15 in 9.3 overs, a spell of madness that ripped the heart out of Australia’s batting and pretty much sealed the Ashes then and there.

England had won the toss and elected to bat. What followed was chaos. First over, third ball: Chris Rogers edges to Cook. Gone for a duck. Steve Smith followed on the last ball. Then Shaun Marsh. Then Adam Voges and Michael Clarke. Broad was breathing fire.

In just 37 balls, Australia were 29/6. In under an hour, they were all out for 60. The scoreboard looked like a horror show for the Aussies. Broad was just unplayable. The ball was talking. And Australia’s top order? They had no answers.

The numbers don’t lie. 9.3 overs, 5 maidens, 15 runs and 8 wickets. That was video-game stuff. Broad became only the fifth England bowler to take eight wickets in an Ashes innings.

It is still one of the best spells in Test history, not just because of the numbers, but because of the stage. An Ashes decider, at home, with the series on the line. Broad didn’t just rise to the occasion, he owned it.

Everyone Chipped In But It Was Broad’s Day

England’s batters responded in kind. Joe Root cracked 130, Jonny Bairstow added 74 and Moeen Ali smacked a quick 38. They posted 391/9 declared, building a massive lead of 331.

In the second innings, Ben Stokes grabbed six wickets, but even then, Broad’s first-innings destruction was what sealed the deal.

Australia tried to fight back in the second innings with Rogers, Warner and Voges scoring fifties, but it was too little, too late. England bowled them out for 253. Broad even chipped in with another wicket, just for good measure.

England won by an innings and 78 runs and reclaimed the Ashes in style. Broad was named Player of the Match, obviously. And rightly so.

Even a decade later, when you talk Ashes and you talk fast bowling, Broad’s 8/15 is always part of the conversation. It was the day he turned into a legend, the day Trent Bridge roared like never before.

Stuart Broad retired from the game in 2023, finishing with 604 Test wickets. But for many fans, this was his magnum opus, the day he dismantled Australia and sent the Ashes urn packing.