Bazball Continues to Work Wonders as it Defies Assumptions

When England lost to the West Indies the Test side was clearly at their worst. They were wiped out easily in the Ashes before that and Joe Root’s captaincy reign finally came to an end after losing against the West Indies. His resignation left a hole in the leadership role as England were initially reluctant to go with Ben Stokes.

Taking the role as a batter, fast-bowler and a gun fielder, Ben Stokes already does more than anyone can on a cricket field. Putting him as captain seemed to be a questionable move given the additional burden it would put on him. However, Stokes has also proven himself to be a pretty good leader, and is a respected member in the side which made him seem just as suitable for the role.

Along with him England brought in one of the most aggressive batters, Brendan McCullum as coach. He was appointed specifically for the Test format, and the pair started their revolution instantly. They spoke well about how they will play positive cricket and consistently look for results. Facing New Zealand in their first assignment under the new regime doubts still persisted on England’s ability. They had a quality bowling attack ahead of them and one that could do wonders in England conditions.

Jonny Bairstow alone though turned it around. Things didnt start easy though. With a swinging track, both sides faltered in the first innings. England faltering in the first innings though was a greater talking point given their batting failures in the previous Tests. In the second innings though, facing a stiff target, England started the Bazball era.

The magic continued into the second and third Tests as England went few steps ahead, looking far more aggressive. They successfully made it past New Zealand with Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root stepping up. The next challenge was India. With the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami, England’s aggressive approach was once again a concern.

The Test started with India ahead as Rishabh Pant unleashed his own assault to get India to a strong score. England in response struggled to get starts. Another counter-attacking century from Jonny Bairstow helped reduce the lead to 132. A significant lead was still conceded and England were eventually left with a mammoth target of 377. The pitch was wearing and India had some quality bowlers. England though did not hold back. Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root were once more in the spotlight.

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The pair built a huge partnership, taking on India’s best bowlers and made a mockery of the chase as they completed the Test in the first session of the Final day. A thrilling Final day was on the cards, but turned out to be a damp session with England cantering to victory. The next series against South Africa, at home was the next challenge. Once again, doubts came up with South Africa having some fearful fast bowlers.

The doubts rose as England were brushed aside with an innings in the first Test. England though were quick to respond. Thanks to a Ben Stokes special, England won the second Test, and then went on to show some versatility in the third. In a low scoring game, their batters went down a few gears and played the situation beautifully to guide England through to the series win, proving that Bazball works yet again.

The doubts though seize to stop. England did beat the likes of New Zealand, India and South Africa. However, those victories came at home. The next question was if they could do the same in the subcontinent. To prove that they could, England went to Pakistan for a three Test series.

The first Test though did not turn out to be a sufficient Test for the batters. On a freakish first day, England;s batters wreaked havoc scoring 500 in the first day. They had four centurions in the first innings and ensured they had a lot of time despite light issues occuring on each of the five days. The Test turned out to be one of their best as they bowled Pakistan out in the dying stages of the Final Day.

Heading to Karachi, England’s subcontinent Test went a step ahead. They finally encountered a dry track. Runs were still easy to come by, but with more spin on offer the challenge grew. With their aggressive batting though, there was not much time wasted. England went on to win the next two Tests rather easily, conquering Pakistan, and proving that they have the potential to go well with their style in the subcontinent.

The doubts though still remain. They head to New Zealand, which has some incredible ball movement and is very result friendly. The tracks are very helpful for pacers. England though has already proven their doubters wrong a fair few time. They certainly have the potential to continue to do so. However, with bowlers likely to have a lot more assistance it will continue to be an interesting battle between England’s aggressive group of eleven and a strong set of bowlers in friendly conditions.