Stuart Broad, a successful fast bowler, has retired from international cricket, marking the end of his impressive Test career. While he specialized in Test cricket, he last played an ODI in 2016 and a T20I in 2014. Broad holds the 5th position on the all-time list of most wickets in Test cricket. His crucial performance in the last Ashes Test at the Oval helped England secure a 49-run victory and deny Australia their first Test series win in England since 2001. As we delve into the statistics of the series, we find some interesting facts:
– In his final Test at The Oval, Broad took 22 wickets at an average of 28.40, with a strike rate of 50.2, making him the England bowler with the most wickets in the 2023 Ashes series.
– Broad’s total career wickets tally stands at 604 in 167 Tests, with 153 wickets against Australia, the highest by any bowler against them.
– Broad achieved a unique feat by hitting a six off Mitchell Starc’s last ball and taking a wicket (Alex Carey) off his final ball in Tests.
– Alex Carey set a career-best performance by affecting 26 dismissals (21 catches and 5 stumpings) in the series, becoming the sixth Australian wicketkeeper with 25 or more dismissals in a series.
– Steven Smith joined Sir Donald Bradman and Allan Border as the third batter to register 25 fifty-plus innings (12 centuries and 13 fifties) against England.
– Usman Khawaja’s aggregate of 496 runs at an average of 49.60, including a century and three fifties, is the highest in The Ashes 2023. He also became the first batter to surpass 1,000 runs in Tests this year.
– Chris Woakes performed exceptionally well with an average of 18.15, claiming 19 wickets in just three Tests, making him the best bowler in the 2023 Ashes series.
– David Warner and Usman Khawaja recorded the highest first-wicket partnership of 140 runs in the fourth innings, which remained the only century stand in The Ashes 2023.
– This Ashes series witnessed a record-breaking 19 scores of 200-plus runs, the highest in any five-Test series.
– Zak Crawley’s aggregate of 480 runs at an average of 53.33, including a century and two fifties, became his best performance in a Test series and the highest by an England batter in the series.
– Joe Root’s runs’ tally reached 6,092 at an average of 53.43 in Tests played in England, making him the ninth batter to achieve 6,000 runs or more at home.
– The match-aggregate of 1,307 runs for the loss of 40 wickets is the third-highest total in the Ashes at The Oval.
– Harry Brook achieved his highest score of 85 against Australia in Tests, surpassing his previous score of 75 in the same series.
– Broad secured 38 wickets in eight Tests, making him the leading pacer in Tests this year.
– Mitchell Starc had the best average of 27.08 runs per wicket in just four Tests, the highest by any bowler in the 2023 Ashes series.
– Ben Stokes set a new record by hitting fifteen sixes in the series, surpassing the previous record of fourteen by Kevin Pietersen in 2005.
– Ben Stokes became the third all-rounder, after Garry Sobers and Jacques Kallis, to achieve the triple of 6,000 runs, 100 wickets, and 100 catches in Tests.
– Ben Stokes also joined the list of England fielders with 100 catches or more in Tests, while Joe Root holds the record for the highest number of catches for England.
– Stuart Broad is one of five bowlers to have claimed 150 or more wickets against a single opponent, with his 153 wickets against Australia.
– The series witnessed nineteen scores of 200 or more runs, setting a record for any five-Test series.
– Todd Murphy achieved his best performance in the Ashes by taking 4 wickets for 110 runs, second only to his performance against India in February earlier this year.
– These statistics are courtesy of Rajesh Kumar.