With ‘Bazball’, technique is secondary to ego, domination is everything, defence is an afterthought (if thought of at all), and importantly, having once settled on a philosophy of quick scoring and ‘entertainment’, there is no Plan B. Bazball contains seeds of its own destruction. That’s something India will have to exploit for the rest of the series just as they did at Edgbaston.
When it comes off, Bazball looks dramatic, as if it is the only way to play cricket. It brings in crowds, eschews draws, puts pressure on the opposition. It has been consistently successful for England since Brendon McCullum (coach) and Ben Stokes (captain) took charge. But when things are going badly, and the call is for swallowing the ego and defending stoutly, it flounders and is left without ideas. There is an attacking Bazball, but no defending Bazball. That is a chapter yet to be worked out.
England’s problems
Suddenly, England have all the problems. Their bowling looks weak and incomplete with neither medium-pacer nor the lone spinner threatening. This might change if Gus Atkinson and Jofra Archer make it to the eleven for Lord’s, but neither has played in a while. The batting looks shaky, with six zeroes in the first innings (and two scores over 150) giving the scoreboard a strange, lopsided look.
India have been ahead on nine of the ten days of the series so far; it is a domination that is not reflected in the 1-1 scoreline. They lost at Headingley despite five centuries, but won at Edgbaston with one man, skipper Shubman Gill making 42% of the 1000-plus runs the team made for the first time. Cricket is a funny game.
It was foolish to have rested the world’s best bowler, Jasprit Bumrah, after losing the first Test, but India got away with it. Bumrah is back for the Lord’s Test this week. Now with Akash Deep’s ten-wicket performance, the pace bowling looks more settled than before, so you can argue it was worth the risk! Akash Deep’s has been an incredible performance, his ability to get the ball to dart back or keep its course almost at will astounding.
Much was made of his manner of hitting the cracks as if the pitch deserved the credit for his wickets. But that is being miserly with praise for the ability to bowl to a plan, and hit a length consistently.
Interesting reign ahead
That the Indian medium-pacers used the Dukes ball and the pitch better than the home team must worry England whose coach has asked for more pace and bounce at Lord’s, while criticising the ‘subcontinental’ wicket at Edgbaston. Gill, who has grown nicely into the role of a leader was unhappy both with the ball which goes soft too soon and the slow wickets which he said kills the essence of the game. It is good to see India’s captain and leading batter speak his mind and go beyond platitudes at the end of a match. We are in for an interesting reign.
This was a Test that India won rather than one which England lost, although the declaration might have been unnecessarily delayed — either because of Gill’s respect for England’s ability to chase down big scores, or putting the game beyond the opposition was the priority even if it meant risking a draw. Perhaps the inability of attacking batters to settle down and play a defensive game to draw a Test is a lost art, and Gill knew it. Yet, the field placing on the final day was overly defensive and beyond understanding. The ability to know when to attack and when to defend is a lesson captains have to learn early.
India seem to have hit their stride, all their batters in form, bowlers effective and the catching, especially close-in safe. When whom to drop rather than whom to pick is the question, the team is in a good place.
Gill’s sublime batting and appetite for huge scores — he has 585 runs from four innings, and if he continues in the same vein could challenge Bradman’s record of 974 for a series — has already elevated the batting on view to a different plane. The coronation ceremony is over, Indian batting has a new king.
Published – July 09, 2025 12:30 am IST
