Josh Hull's 'slingy' action reminds Stuart Broad of Mitchell Johnson
Stuart Broad, the former England fast bowler, has drawn parallels between the bowling style of debutant Josh Hull and ex-Australian speedster Mitchell Johnson. Hull, who stands at 6ft 7-inch, is now recognized as England's tallest fast bowler. He made his first appearance in the ongoing third Test against Sri Lanka at Kennington Oval in London, replacing Matthew Potts. Here are further details.
Hull's impressive debut performance
In his debut match, Hull delivered an impressive performance with figures of 3/53. This helped England dismiss Sri Lanka for a total of 263 runs. Broad commented on Hull's unique 'slingy' action, stating it reminded him of Johnson. He also suggested that by adjusting his bowling action to deliver from a higher point, Hull could potentially generate more bounce without compromising on swing.
Broad's advice and praise for Hull
Broad further praised Hull's technique and predicted that his speed would also improve over time. "I have been really impressed. He has been picked on attributes. His height, his bounce, getting the ball to swing back into the right-handed batter," Broad said as per Sky Sports. He also suggested that Hull's run-up might evolve with experience, noting that his current alignment is well-suited for making batters play.
Hull's journey to England debut
Hull played a key role in Leicestershire's victory in the 2023 One-Day Cup, taking 17 wickets from nine matches at an average of 24.23. Earlier this month, he made a successful debut for the England Lions against Sri Lanka, claiming five wickets for 74 runs. In his short First-Class career spanning 10 matches so far, Hull has taken a total of 16 wickets with best figures of 5/74.
Hull's debut marred by dropped catch
Despite his impressive debut, Hull experienced a setback when he failed to catch a straightforward shot from Dhananjaya de Silva off Shoaib Bashir's bowling during the 33rd over. However, this did not overshadow his overall performance in the match. The third Test between England and Sri Lanka is currently underway with Sri Lanka needing 125 runs more on Day 4 to win their first Test in England since 2014.
