'If a team can sustain Bazball...' - Ex-India captain's bold verdict on England's approach

The rescheduled India vs England Test in Southampton in 2022 is still fresh to the memory as it was the first Test for Jasprit Bumrah as the Indian captain and also for Rahul Dravid as the head coach. More importantly, it was the team India’s first-ever exposure to England’s ‘Bazball’. Bazball is a modern-era approach to playing red-ball cricket where the team attacks aggressively right from the start. It was introduced by Former New Zealand skipper and the England coach Brendon McCullum who had ended his career with the fastest Test hundred.

India, who returned to England with an unassailable lead of 2-1, had no answers to England’s attacking response to the target of 377, especially after Virat Kohli’s banter pinched Jonny Bairstow’s ego. The visitors had to share the Pataudi Trophy following a 7-wicket defeat. Now in 2024, England’s Bazball is in India where they will play the hosts in a five-match Test series that started in Hyderabad on Thursday morning.

It is England’s first tour to India for a Test series since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum joined hands to revolutionize Test cricket for England. The pair is yet to lose a series since joining hands and has been a force to reckon with in the longest format. Their style has reaped enough rewards but mostly on the spicy tracks that favour speed. Indian rank turners will pose a different threat altogether for the English batters.

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Former India women’s team captain Anjum Chopra finds Bazball an interesting aspect of playing the format where sustainability matters. Speaking exclusively with CricketNext, Anjum Chopra said the concept is exciting but England might end up shooting themselves in the foot as the spinning tracks in India might backfire the Bazball shots.

Anjum Chopra Feels England Might Fail With The Bazball In India

“I find it entertaining and cricket is supposed to entertain you. But jab apne bowler ki pitai hoti hai to achha nahi lagta (It doesn’t feel right when our bowlers get hammered),” Chopra told CricketNext.

“It is a new way of playing cricket. If a team can sustain it to get the results that they desire, then there is no harm. It’s go out there, venture out and find out the abilities of the individuals. So if this suits England and they are getting the desired results then it’s absolutely fine.”

“Not necessary that it will suit every team, or, even England at times, given the conditions they are playing in. So, I quite like it because it’s just trying new things with the format. After all, no matter how many formats you play, the technique shall remain the same. Advancements will work only if the base is strong,” she added.

England can either rule the Indian conditions and wreak havoc with the Bazball or can bite the dust by the time the five-match Test series ends. But, overall, it promises wholesale entertainment ahead of the Indian summer and England will hope to repeat the 2012 results where they defeated the hosts in India by 2-1 in the Test series.

India is on a 16-consecutive winning streak in home Test series and England will be hoping to end the streak this summer. However, Currently, the Indian team is having a blast in the ongoing first Test as the spinners are wreaking havoc in Hyderabad. England won the toss and elected to bat first but has been struggling against the Indian spinners right from the first day.