The Bazball Dilemma: England’s Audacious Test Cricket Experiment
It’s been stated that your biggest asset is also your worst liability. The England squad and their coach Brendon McCullum’s batting strategy during the Test match is one recent example of this. In reality, under Brendon McCullum’s tutelage, the England squad established a new tradition by playing Test cricket in a batting fashion. The purpose of this practice was to provide some spice to the somewhat boring game of Test cricket.
Throughout their time playing Bazball across the globe, England attempted to create an interesting Test cricket match by playing in a distinctive way. They appeared to be playing for the test match more than any chance of a draw. This new English approach terrified every team in the globe.
Bazball had become England’s speciality, therefore when the team travelled to India for the five-test series, the main concern was whether England could win the series with just Bazball tactics. After winning the first Test match of the series, England’s squad gave everyone a strong feeling that they would be able to compete with the Indian side. It should not be forgotten that since the World Cup in India, England’s ODI squad has also failed miserably.
England’s batsmen used to play similar badgeball and reach 400 runs even in One-Day Internationals, but they have been neutral since the India visit. It appears that England’s Test cricket career will take a nosedive following this trip to India, and the country will forget about Bazball. Ollie Pope opened the door for England’s win in the first Test match by hitting a spectacular 196 runs in the second innings. The Pope’s innings this time were by no means in the same style. Following this, England’s captain and coach felt so much more confident that he began to play Test matches in his batting style. However, England lost badly in the second and third Test matches.
The bazball formula used in England has totally failed. In the third Test, England were all out for just 122 runs when pursuing a goal of 557 runs, after having boasted about chasing a target of 600 runs on the basis of Bazball. The captain and coach of England remain steadfast in their approach despite the team’s humiliating 434-run loss in the third Test match.
England’s fast-paced run-scoring proved to be a costly strategy in the third Test match. Following an inning in which they had scored 207 runs in 35 overs and were once 299/5 up, England’s innings were limited to only 20 runs. Things got worse when England switched to a defensive stance in the second inning. With just 122 runs scored, England’s squad was out of the game. Under the direction of England squad coach McCullum, England is using an aggressive approach when playing Test cricket.
Though he has a different attitude, Indian coach Rahul Draving is working on McCullum’s recipe and his squad is seeking to use aggressive batting to put pressure on England. The Indian team’s coach has a defensive approach, whereas the England team’s coach is more aggressive.
The Indian team and Yashasvi’s badgeball are still strong in this series, but there is also an ideological struggle between two opposing coaches. His greatest weakness now is England’s Bazball, which was once one of his strengths. It now remains to be seen if England will use the Bazball tactic in the next two Test matches or if they will alter their approach and Bazball will be forgotten.
