"England don't even have a chance.."- Harbhajan Singh ridicules Bazball

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh believes that England’s aggressive approach, ‘Bazball’, will face challenges in the upcoming Test series in India. Harbhajan Singh stated that England batters might struggle due to the spin-friendly pitches in the red-ball series.

India will host the five-match series against England, with the first Test scheduled for Hyderabad on January 25. The pitches in the series will come under scrutiny, especially considering India provided turning tracks in the previous home Test series against England.

In their previous Test series in India in 2021, England suffered a 3-1 defeat. India’s spin duo Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel troubled opposition batters on turning tracks. Ashwin picked up 32 wickets, while Axar contributed 27 wickets in the four-match series.

The Conditions Are Going To Be Pretty Difficult – Harbhajan Singh

Harbhajan Singh expressed skepticism about England’s ‘Bazball’ strategy, stating that it won’t be effective in India where pitches are expected to turn from the first day. He emphasized that England may struggle unless the conditions are less favorable for spinners.

“Bazball won’t work. The conditions are going to be pretty difficult for England. Pitches will turn from the first day, and if you have an accurate spinner, he will take wickets. On both sides, actually. Toss becomes pretty important on such wickets. I don’t think England have a chance unless there isn’t much to offer for spinners,” Harbhajan Singh said.

The First Test Set To Be Played In Hyderabad On January 25

The Ben Stokes-led team managed to draw 2-2 in their last Test series against Australia in the Ashes 2023. The Three Lions suffered back-to-back losses in the first two matches. However, they bounced back to win two of the subsequent three outings in the series.

India, on the other hand, engaged in a two-match Test series in South Africa, which ended in a 1-1 draw. The Rohit Sharma-led team beat Australia in their last home Test series. They won 2-1 and secured the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the fourth successive time.

The two teams picked spin-heavy sides, with four spinners on each side. Jack Leach will spearhead the England attack, consisting of Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, and Tom Hartley. Ashwin, Axar, Ravindra Jadeja, and Kuldeep Yadav are part of the Indian squad.

England Squad: Ben Stokes, Rehan Ahmed, James Anderson, Gus Atkinson, Jonny Bairstow, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ben Foakes, Tom Hartley, Jack Leach, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Joe Root and Mark Wood

India Squad for first 2 Tests: Rohit Sharma (C), Shubman Gill, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Avesh Khan.

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