"On another day one of those top edges goes straight to hand" - James Anderson on Stuart Broad's expensive over against Jasprit Bumrah

Veteran England seamer James Anderson defended Stuart Broad, who was on the receiving end of unwanted history on Day 2 of the fifth Test against India at Edgbaston on Saturday, July 2. He felt Broad was unlucky as one of those top-edges from Jasprit Bumrah's blade could have gone into a fielder's hands.

Broad endured a nightmare day with the ball as he leaked 35 runs off an over towards the end of the Indian innings.

Bumrah tonked the veteran for 29 runs off his bat, while six runs came off extras. It is now the costliest over in the history of Test cricket.

Anderson, who took his 30th fifer in Test cricket, admitted that Broad's over wouldn't have been under discussion had one of those top-edges landed in a fielder's hands.

The right-arm seamer thought that Broad was just unfortunate. He said, as quoted by ESPN Cricinfo:

"Yeah, it is just one of those things. On another day one of those top edges goes straight to hand. If that gets taken nobody talks about the over. I thought it was pretty unlucky.

"There's plenty of top edges, a couple of good shots but that's the plan Ben wanted Broady to go with. Broady stuck to it and on another day when the luck was with Stuart an edge probably would have gone to hand."

Ironically, it was Anderson who held the joint-record for conceding the most runs in an over in Test cricket before this. The 39-year old was a victim of George Bailey in Perth at the 2013-14 Ashes series as the Australian smashed 28 runs. The other two who held the dubious record were Robin Peterson and Joe Root.

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"Sometimes it can be easier to bowl at top-order bats to be honest" - James Anderson

James Anderson. (Credits: Getty)

The Lancashire seamer also admitted that bowling to tailenders was challenging, recalling how Mohammed Siraj tried to hit him out of the ground.

Anderson said:

"Sometimes it can be easier to bowl at top-order bats to be honest. I do remember a few balls to Siraj: he tried to hit two out of the ground and the next one played a perfect forward defence. It can be tricky to get into a rhythm against them. You've just got to try and back yourself that your best ball will get them out eventually."

Bumrah's blitz (31* off 16) lifted India to an imposing 416, which was spearheaded by centuries from Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja. Bumrah later took three top-order wickets as the hosts reached 84-5 at stumps to trail by 332 runs.