"It's a marketing jargon" - Ravichandran Ashwin tears apart portrayal of Bazball reviving Test cricket

Veteran Indian off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin recently discussed England’s ‘Bazball’ approach, labeling it as marketing jargon. Ravichandran Ashwin highlighted missed opportunities to capitalize on advantageous situations during the recent series in India.

Former and current English cricketers have credited England with reviving and saving Test cricket through their Bazball approach. Ben Stokes frequently advocates for an aggressive style of play, emphasizing the team’s willingness to take risks and not fear defeat.

The Ben Stokes-led team commenced the five-match series with a victory against India during the first Test in Hyderabad. However, the visiting team failed to maintain their winning momentum and subsequently lost the remaining four matches in the series.

This defeat marked England’s first Test series loss under the leadership of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum. While Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett performed well against the Indian bowling attack, the middle-order batsmen failed to provide the necessary support.

That’s a Huge Risk You’re Taking – Ravichandran Ashwin

In his conversation on The Club Prairie podcast, Ravichandran Ashwin praised England for their competitive spirit but criticized their portrayal of reviving Test cricket with the Bazball approach.

Ashwin emphasized the freedom to play various styles of cricket but cautioned against the risk of adopting a consistent strategy throughout a long series. Ashwin acknowledged England’s impressive performance and noted missed opportunities.

“You can play any brand of cricket; you can have your game plan. You can do whatever you want. There is the freedom to do it. If a group of people like 11 cricketers together want to embrace the same pattern of play, I personally think that’s a huge risk you’re taking, especially in a long series,” Ashwin said.

“I actually think the marketing of them reviving Test cricket and saving it was a bit funny. I think it’s a marketing jargon. Personally, if you ask me, they played some wonderful, wonderful cricket. The scoreline might reflect 4-1, but I thought they played some wonderful cricket. When you have the opposition on the mat, you better keep them down. We did find ourselves on the mat many times, but I just think they didn’t put the nail very deep into the coffin at those stages.”

The 37-year-old emerged as the top wicket-taker, securing 26 wickets at an average of 24.81. His exceptional performance propelled him back to the top of the Test bowling rankings.

Ashwin’s achievements in the series included surpassing 500 Test wickets and marking his 100th Test appearance. He became the 14th Indian cricketer to play 100 Test matches.

Ravichandran Ashwin is currently representing the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League (IPL). He showcased his batting prowess during the recent match against the Delhi Capitals. He scored 29 runs off just 19 deliveries after being promoted to No. 5.

The Tamil Nadu-born cricketer will be next seen in action during the match between the Rajasthan Royals and Mumbai Indians (RR) at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Monday, April 1.

Also read: Rohit Sharma fans torn apart for booing Hardik Pandya as Ravichandran Ashwin supports MI skipper