‘Hayden, Gilchrist ‘Bazballed’ long before’ – Sanath Jayasuriya on England’s Test approach

Sanath Jayasuriya. (Photo Source: Twitter/@OfficialSLC)

Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya inspired his team to a historic ODI series win against India earlier this month. This was the first time Sri Lanka beat India in a bilateral ODI series since 1997. However, there isn’t much time for the former Sri Lankan captain to bask in the glory as he has to prepare his team for a challenging three-match away Test series against England. The first encounter begins on Wednesday, August 21, at Old Trafford, Manchester.

Ahead of a Test series against England, opposition are always questioned about their plans to counter England’s ultra-aggressive ‘Bazball’ strategy. On being asked a similar question, Jayasuriya said that Bazball was not new in international cricket and the likes of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist had adopted the approach since the late 1990s. The Sri Lankan legend, however, acknowledged that England has the tendency of going hammer and tongs in the first 10 overs but assured that his side has its plans in place.

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“You get various styles depending on the time. Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist did it too during our time. This is something similar to what we have had in the past. There has just been some media publicity that this is something new. They try to play attacking cricket from the outset, but the end goal is to get to those totals of 300 or 400,” Jayasuriya said in the press conference ahead of the first Test match.

“It’s in the first ten overs that there will be the most pressure I think. If you look historically, they have been attacking in that first ten overs and getting runs on the board quickly. We have got some plans to counter that. And we know this is how they will play,” he further added.

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Jayasuriya said that it would be important for his bowlers to identify the ideal lengths to bowl on the surface that will be on offer. The 55-year-old also noted that his team will have to mix caution with aggression to stem the flow of boundaries.

“We have to bowl in the right places, and if they hit the good balls, that’s okay. We need to identify the right lengths given the conditions. There will be times when we need to cover the areas of the field where they are attacking, to cut down the boundaries,” Jayasuriya said.