"Can't just play in one gear" - Michael Vaughan advises England to abandon Bazball in 5th Test
Published - 29 Feb 2024, 05:33 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:27 AM
Former cricketer Michael Vaughan criticized England’s lack of adaptability in batting during the five-match Test series in India. Michael Vaughan advised the Ben Stokes-led team to adjust their strategies according to the situation rather than playing aggressive cricket.
The term “Bazball” emerged when Brendon McCullum became the Test coach, shifting England’s batting strategy to aggressive play. This approach yielded significant success in red-ball cricket, with England winning 13 out of 18 Test matches leading up to the Indian tour.
The visiting team began the series with a 28-run win in Hyderabad despite a 190-run deficit in the first innings. However, they faced three consecutive defeats, resulting in a series loss to India. Notably, this marked England’s first Test series defeat in the Bazball era.
Test Cricket Is The Best Format – Michael Vaughan
In a conversation with Cricbuzz, Michael Vaughan emphasized the importance of adjusting to different game situations. Vaughan suggested that England could achieve better results against formidable opponents if they improved their approach.
“I’ve said many, many times, you can’t just play in one gear, because you’ll get found out. You’ve just got to go up and down in the gears, play the situation, read the pitch, and read the bowlers. That’s why Test match cricket is the best format because it allows you to just play the situation a little bit more sensibly at times. And if they can do that, I think they’re in a very strong position going forward, playing Test match cricket against all the other teams. Not many teams go to India and win; not many teams compete in India,” Vaughan said.
They Just Need To Play Smarter At Times – Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan pointed out that England batters should adopt the approach Joe Root used to score a century in the first innings of the Ranchi Test.
“It’s their lowest scoring rate in the two years that they’ve been playing this expansive game. They might say they should have gone harder; they might say they should have played more aggressively and they’d have been in a better position. I would disagree. I think they just need to play smarter at times. You look at Joe Root’s innings in the first innings. It was Joe Root of a few years ago, just knocking it around, playing very technically correct. Obviously, he’s got boundary options and all the skill elements of that little kind of run down to third that he played beautifully off Jadeja many, many times. That’s Joe Root at his best,” Vaughan added.
Joe Root showcased patience and scored a brilliant century after a batting collapse. He added pivotal partnerships with Ben Foakes and Ollie Robinson, anchoring the innings effectively. Finishing unbeaten on 122 off 274 deliveries, England were bowled out for 353 runs.
The fifth and final Test is scheduled to be played at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, starting on March 7. The visiting team hopes to end the series with a win, while the home team aims to improve their position in the WTC points table.
Also read: Watch- Adam Gilchrist takes a massive jibe at England Cricket Team leaving Michael Vaughan red-faced
