India off-spinner R Ashwin has expressed his admiration for Bazball, saying England’s approach to Test cricket has not just been entertaining to watch but has yielded them the right results.
England have lost only 4 of their last 18 matches ever since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took over the leadership group. After the hammering in Ashes 2021 in Australia, England went for sweeping changes in their Test set-up. Joe Root stepped down as captain while Chris Silverwood was sacked as coach after an incredibly lean patch for the Test team.
However, under Stokes’s captaincy, England have played aggressive and fearless cricket, which has been dubbed as Bazball, producing results by dominating opposition teams.
Questions were asked about England’s Bazball approach in the lead-up to the Ashes series despite their incredible record in Tests over the last year. Despite these criticisms, England has remained steadfast in their commitment to Bazball, demonstrating its effectiveness in the Ashes.
Despite losing the first two Tests to Australia, England’s commitment to Bazball remained unshaken. The English press criticised the team’s approach after the two Test defeats but England bounced back and nearly completed a sensational comeback. They were denied a series victory as the English weather played spoilsport in the 4th Test in Manchester.
Shedding light on the Bazball approach, R Ashwin highlighted England’s success while also stressing the effectiveness India have had while sticking to their approach.
“England are playing a very exciting brand of cricket that has excited a lot of people around the world. On the other hand, we have been extremely consistent and successful in recent years,” he added.
‘CAN’T WAIT FOR THEM TO COME HERE’
England will next play a 5-Test series against India In India in January-March 2024. While Bazball survived the Ashes Test, it remains to be seen if England’s approach will work on spin-friendly conditions in India next year.
“I cannot wait for them to come here and I don’t think they are going to take one foot backward, they will continue to play the way they play. It wouldn’t be an overstatement if I say that England is possibly the team to beat at this point of time,” Ashwin added.
Notably, captain Ben Stokes and opener Zak Crawley are among the many in the England Test side who have promised to continue their approach and battle it out in India, which has been a difficult place to tour for overseas teams.
