"Pick A Fight With The Australians": Stuart Broad's Ashes 'Strategy' Is Bound To Leave Everyone Stunned

Since the controversial dismissal of England batter Jonny Bairstow in the second Ashes Test by Australia, the Ashes series has got a little heated up. Attacks from both sides followed. Though England lost the first two Tests, they won the third game as they ow trail 1-2 in the five-match contest. The fourth Ashes Test starts on July 19 and England will be eye to level the scores. During that match at Lord's, England fast bowler Stuart Broad could be seen sledging Australian players, particularly Aleax Carey, after the Bairstow incident. Broad said that it was a strategy.   "It was such an important moment of that game at Lord's. I had to make sure that I was mentally switched on and able to do a job for Ben Stokes at the other end. Part of my strategy was to pick a fight with couple of Australians! So that I would not be focussing on too much technique and I would be focussing on the ball and make sure I stay there. Part of Ashes cricket, the rivalry, the history is very much a great battle out there. Both teams have been really stuck in this series. A lot of the players know each other really well. We lunch in the same room. It's not like there's a huge battle going on off the field," Broad said on Sky Sports.

England have kept faith with Jonny Bairstow as the wicketkeeper retained his place in a 14-man squad for next week's fourth Test against Australia. Bairstow has endured a difficult series behind the stumps, missing eight chances in the first three Tests.

There have been calls for Surrey's Ben Foakes to replace Bairstow as wicketkeeper, but captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum remain supportive of the Yorkshire player.

After winning the third Test in Leeds by three wickets on Sunday to keep their Ashes