Stuart Broad Explains Why He 'Cried' After England's Ashes Defeat

Stuart Broad breaks the silence: No one would have thought that England would lose after taking a first-innings lead of 40 runs in the first Ashes Test played at Perth's Optus Stadium. But that's exactly what happened, as England's batting collapsed completely in the second innings. Travis Head then played a blistering century innings of 123 off 83 balls, giving Australia a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. After England's defeat, former fast bowler Stuart Broad's reaction went viral on social media, showing him in tears. Now, Broad himself has broken his silence on the matter.

Stuart Broad was stunned

In fact, after taking a 40-run lead based on the first innings, the English team, batting in the second innings, had a score of 65 for 1 wicket at one point. After that, wickets fell in quick succession, with 6 wickets down for 88 runs. This gave Australia complete control of the match. Ollie Pope, Harry Brook, and Joe Root all got out quickly, with everyone chasing balls pitched outside the off-stump. When Root got out, caught by Mitchell Starc, former England fast bowler Stuart Broad was visibly stunned in the Channel 7 commentary box. During this time, he had a reaction that went viral on social media.

Broad closed his eyes as soon as Root's wicket fell

When Root's wicket fell, Broad, sitting next to a jubilant Matthew Hayden, closed his eyes in disbelief. This tearful moment, posted by Seven's Cricket account, had garnered 2.5 million views by Monday morning, while Sky Sports' version had over 485,000 views.

'My reaction was like the supporters' emotions'

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald, Broad explained that his reaction was akin to the emotions of supporters back home. "I think every England cricket fan would have felt exactly the same," he said. "You just want to close your eyes for 10 seconds and hope it wasn't actually happening."

He further added that the raw emotion is what makes the Ashes so compelling. "The match was changing every hour and you had no idea what was going to happen next," he said. The Test ended inside two days, with Australia chasing a target of 205 in the final session thanks to Head's brilliant 123. Marnus Labuschagne remained unbeaten on a fifty to guide the home side to an eight-wicket victory.

'England needs to seize crucial moments'

Broad believes the series will witness high-voltage drama if the intensity of the cricket continues. However, he stressed that England needs to seize crucial moments better. "If the cricket continues at this pace and with this emotion, it's going to be a fantastic summer," he said. "England just needs to understand the crucial moments better." The second Test is scheduled to be played with a pink ball at the Gabba from Thursday, December 4.