Jonny Bairstow (Photo Source: Twitter)
After winning the first Test in Hyderabad, England went on to lose four back-to-back Test matches against India, losing the series 1-4. Their middle order batters failed massively while the inexperienced spin attack could barely pose any threat as Indian batters never looked uncomfortable in the middle. Skipper Ben Stokes too wasn’t very impressed with the performance of the visitors and added that it was a learning lesson for them and would apply themselves better in the coming English summer.
Meanwhile, during the fifth Test in Dharamshala, the crowd in attendance was seen mocking England’s Bazball approach. In a viral video, they were spotted singing ‘Bazball gets battered everywhere they go’ and Jonny Bairstow, who was stationed near the boundary was seen losing his calm and replying back to the crowd but his words couldn’t be deciphered.
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Nevertheless, the Bazball approach of England is currently under scrutiny after an embarrassing series defeat. Many former cricketers have called it reckless and its success against quality sides is concerning. However, following the defeat in Dharamshala, skipper Ben Stokes explained what Bazball actually stands for and explained that it is much more than playing just an aggressive brand of cricket.
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“The media name Bazball – everyone says ‘what is it?’ In my opinion it’s wanting to be a better player. In the face of defeat and failure, Bazball will hopefully inspire people to become better players and become even better than what we are,” Stokes was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.
This was England’s first series defeat since the duo of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over the responsibility of the Test side. However, with Australia retaining the Ashes and a series defeat against India have made the experts question its value, as it hasn’t provided them with results against quality opponents and in tough situations. As things stand, England aren’t going to change their approach right away as their players are best suited for playing in such a manner. They would rather have to focus on consistency, which is lacking in the team.