Leeds [UK], August 22 (ANI): Former England bowler hailed pacer Josh Tongue after a sensational performance in the Leeds Test against Pakistan, saying that he is currently the team’s “best bowler” and their “trump card”.
Tongue and Ollie Robinson shared the spoils, taking eight wickets in England’s massive win over Pakistan at Leeds. Both pacers had five-wicket hauls in the first innings, and Tongue continued his fine run across all formats at international and franchise level.
Speaking after the match, as quoted by Sky Sports, Broad said about Tongue, “I think he is England’s best bowler.”
“He is England’s trump card really at the moment. The most valuable bowler that England have. He looks fit, he looks like he is bowling a good amount of overs, keeping his bowling maintenance rather than stopping and starting the whole time because he has had injury problems, right?,” he added.
Broad said that his fitness has been stopping him for the last six or seven years, and Tongue would like to stay fit and continue his fine form with the ball.
“He looks fit, and he holds the key for England to be successful over the next year,” he signed off.
In 13 Tests, Tongue has taken 65 wickets at an average of 27.38, with two four-fers and four five-wicket hauls, with best figures of 5/45.
He has been on a fine run in Tests since the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy against India last year, being England’s leading wicket-taker and overall second-highest wicket-taker with 19 scalps in three Tests at an average of 29.05, with a four-fer and a five-for.
Then in the away Ashes following that from late 2025 to early 2026, he was England’s second-highest wicket-taker and overall fourth-highest, with 18 wickets in just three matches at an average of 20.11, including a four-wicket haul and a fifer.
He has also been the leading-wicket-taker in two successive editions of the Men’s Hundred, with 14 wickets in six matches at an average of 11.07, with best figures of 3/21 in the 2025 edition. In the recently concluded season, he played a crucial role in the Manchester Super Giants’ (MSG) title win, being the leading wicket-taker with 14 wickets in 10 matches at an average of 18.42 and best figures of 4/26.
Coming to the match against Pakistan, England won the toss and opted to field first, with Tongue (5/46) and Ollie Robinson (5/51) sharing spoils and skittling Pakistan out for just 171 runs, with Abdullah Shafique (61 in 104 balls, with eight fours) and Imam-ul-Haq (42 in 74 balls, with six fours) posing a bit of a fight with a 91-run third-wicket stand. Pakistan collapsed from 97/2 to 171 all out.
In their first innings, England took a massive lead, with Harry Brook (91 in 93 balls, with 13 fours), Jordan Cox (73 in 100 balls, with 14 fours), Joe Root (66 in 112 balls, with 10 fours) and Dan Lawrence (51 in 79 balls, with nine fours) collecting fifties and taking the side to 409. England led by 238 runs. Ali Usman (5/95) took a fifer for Pakistan.
In their second innings, Pakistan had an even worse showing, skittled out for just 135, with Ollie, Jofra Archer and Tongue getting three wickets each.
England took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, and Ollie was chosen as the ‘Player of the Match’ for his eight wickets. (ANI)
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