Broad fit to play in final Test against India

LONDON: England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who suffered a fractured nose on Saturday, was named in an unchanged 13-man squad for the fifth and final test against India at the Oval next week.

Broad, who took six for 25 in India’s first innings to win the man of the match award, retired injured while batting after being struck in the face by a Varun Aaron bouncer, with the ball splitting his nose after becoming lodged in his helmet.

The 28-year-old, who will have an operation on his troublesome right knee after the test series against India, later left for X-rays that showed he had fractured his nose.

The England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said Broad “will be treated over the course of the week and the medical team anticipates he will be available for the fifth test”.

“Little bit sore this morning but not too bad! Doc did a great job with the stitches. On to The Oval! (With a mask),” Broad tweeted on his verified Twitter account (@StuartBroad8). The hosts thrashed India by an innings and 54 runs inside three days in the fourth test at Manchester on Saturday to go 2-1 up in the series.

Squad: Alastair Cook (captain), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Balance, Ian Bell, Stuart Broad, Jos Buttler, Steven Finn, Chris Jordan, Sam Robson, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Chris Woakes.