England Skipper Ben Stokes Defends ‘Bazball’ Tactics Despite Defeat
The England cricket team’s aggressive batting approach, known as ‘Bazball’, during their recent defeat to India in the third Test has sparked controversy. Despite suffering a 434-run defeat, England captain Ben Stokes has defended their tactics, emphasizing the importance of pushing for runs in the face of the prevailing situation.
During their first innings, England’s Ben Duckett’s brilliant performance led the team to a strong position at 224/3 before a collapse resulted in them being all out for 319, trailing India by 126 runs. While Duckett scored 153, the remaining batters failed to make a significant impact, with players like Joe Root, Ben Foakes, and Ollie Pope perishing in pursuit of higher run rates in line with the ‘Bazball’ approach.
Stokes, addressing media in the post-match presentation, acknowledged that the tactic doesn’t always work but stressed the team’s commitment to pursuing it. He emphasized the significance of opinions within the dressing room over external critics, stating, “Ben Duckett played an unbelievable innings…Opinions in the dressing room are the ones that matter to us.”
The England team’s cautious start in the second innings, discarding the aggressive tactics in the face of Indian spinners, ultimately led to their downfall as they lost eight wickets in the evening session, resulting in an Indian victory and a 2-1 series lead. Despite the setback, Stokes remains confident in the team’s ability to bounce back in the remaining matches, stating, “We leave this game behind, know we’ve got to win the next two to win the series.”
With the series now at 2-1 in India’s favor, all eyes will be on the England team as they aim to regroup and make a comeback in the upcoming matches to secure a series victory.
