Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who retired as one of Test cricket’s leading wicket-takers, has named the best Indian batter he bowled to during his career and also the toughest Indian bowler he ever faced in his long successful career. Broad’s rivalry with India is among the most iconic chapters of his Test career. Over the years, he picked up 74 wickets in Tests against India, often engaging in spirited battles with batters like Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane. From epic duels in India to fiery spells at Lord’s and Nottingham, Broad was a consistent performer against India, helping England to several historic victories.
Stuart Broad names the best Indian batter he bowled to
Speaking in a feature video for the Sky Sports Cricket YouTube channel during the 2025 Test series between England and India, Broad stated that Kohli was the complete package with virtually no weaknesses in his game. The veteran pacer elaborated that what made Kohli stand out wasn’t just his ability to dispatch poor deliveries, but also his rare skill to punish well-executed balls something only the finest batters can do.
He described Kohli as a fiercely competitive player who always seemed mentally locked into the contest, bringing an unrelenting intensity every time he took the crease. Broad highlighted the mental and technical discipline that defined Kohli’s red-ball legacy, particularly noting his capacity to adapt and overcome, traits that were on full display during Kohli’s 2018 England tour, where he put up 593 runs in five Tests after a forgettable 2014 campaign.
“The best batsman I bowled to against India in Test match cricket is Virat Kohli. He had an all-round game, no obvious weaknesses. Was not just able to punish my bad balls, but also punish my good balls. Extreme competitive mindset that he was always in the battle. So he’s definitely the best Indian batter I bowled to in Test cricket,” Broad said.
Kohli’s Test career is studded with milestones and standout performances. He finished his red-ball journey with 9,230 runs from 123 Tests at an average of 46.50, including five centuries against England. Kohli’s battles against England, particularly pacers like Broad, Anderson, and Stokes were some of the most gripping contests in modern Test cricket. His transformation from struggling against the moving ball in 2014 to dominating the English attack in 2018 was a hallmark of his growth as a technically refined and mentally resolute cricketer. That tour in 2018, where he faced Broad and James Anderson in swinging English conditions and still emerged as the highest run-getter in the series, solidified his status as one of the greatest of the modern era.
Broad reveals the toughest Indian bowler he ever faced
Switching from batters to bowlers, Broad had no hesitation in naming Jasprit Bumrah as the most challenging Indian bowler he faced during his Test career. According to Broad, what set Bumrah apart was the deceptive nature of his bowling, a slow, composed run-up followed by a sudden burst of energy at the crease, delivering sharp pace with deadly accuracy.
Broad elaborated on how Bumrah’s wide skill set, including conventional swing, reverse swing, wobble seam, yorkers, and quick bouncers, made him a nightmare for batters to line up. He said Bumrah had an uncanny ability to make even good-length deliveries feel threatening due to his unique release point and relentless accuracy. In 15 Tests against England, Bumrah has taken 65 wickets at an average of just 22.61, including several game-changing spells at home and away. Broad admitted that Bumrah was ‘a bowler of the generation,’ someone whose versatility and control across formats deserved universal acclaim.
“The best Indian bowler I faced without a doubt although there’s a lot to choose from is Jasprit Bumrah. I found his calmness of his run up and the explosiveness of his action really difficult to line up. The way he could swing the ball in and out, wobble seam, always hitting the stumps, pacey bouncer, just one of those bowlers of the generation really. There’s no surprise to me he’s having great success in every format,” Broad concluded.
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