- The ongoing India-England five-match Test series had created a great buzz even before the much-anticipated series was set to begin. The reason behind the hype was the Bazball approach – an attacking form of cricket endorsed by Team England’s Test coach Brendon McCullum and Captain Ben Stokes – by aiming to win the Test from even a seemingly impossible position. That approach has served the English team quite spectacularly over the last two years. However, the moot point to ponder over the matter is whether such an all-out attacking approach in challenging overseas conditions would yield the desired results, Of course, Team England did whitewash the Pakistanis by a margin of 3-0 in Pakistan recently. The question being asked was would it work in India?
PC: Hindustan Times
- When England defeated India in the first Test match in Hyderabad, it appeared the Bazball approach would work for the visitors even in the most challenging place for cricketers to ply their trade. However, the subsequent results in the next two Tests amply demonstrate that the all-attacking game may not be to England’s liking. The second Test match in Vizag was won by Team India courtesy of some outstanding bowling efforts from the indomitable Jasprit Bumrah aided by a sparkling double hundred by rookie opener Yashaswi Jaiswal and a second-inning century by Shubhman Gill. Mind you, spinners are always expected to be a handful on Indian conditions, but the way pace spearhead Bumrah rose to the occasion speaks volumes about his repertoire.
- The third Test in Rajkot eventually turned out to be even more one-sided than expected when England was drubbed by a mammoth 434 runs by Team India. Now, this turns out to be the biggest margin of victory in the annals of Indian Test cricket history. How this was possible deserves a closer lookout as some exceptional exhibitions of batting and bowling were on display. The first innings centurions for India were Captain Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja setting the tone for the Indian dominance in the Test. Though English opener Ben Duckett scored a sparkling century in the first innings, Mohammad Siraj rose to the occasion scalping four wickets allowing Team India to secure a healthy lead. What followed in the second innings was spectacular, to say the least.
PC: BNN Breaking News
- Yashaswi Jaiswal is turning out to be an exceptional talent notching up a magnificent unconquered double hundred plundering a record equaling 12 sixes. The hunger for big runs exhibited by the talented all-format player is praiseworthy, marking him out as an outstanding cricketer in the making. Importantly, the debutant middle-order batter Sarfraz Khan’s twin half-centuries also must be counted as a big plus for Team India. Jadeja’s five-fer in the second innings meant Team England folded up for just 122 chasing a mammoth 557 for victory. The Bazball approach failed to work in Rajkot leading to a huge drubbing. Will England be able to recoup and stop Team India from running away with the remaining two Tests? Let’s wait and watch how things will unfold.
