Former England opening batter Sir Geoffrey Boycott has labeled Bazball as a failure following England’s loss in the second Test against India in Vishakhapatnam. Sir Geoffrey Boycott believes that England’s high-risk approach, known as Bazball, will not bring success consistently.
Chasing a target of 399 for victory, England’s batters adopted an aggressive approach from the outset, managing to score 67 runs by Stumps on Day 3. However, the middle-order batsmen struggled to sustain the momentum on Day 4, leading to England being bowled out for 292. This result allowed India to level the series at 1-1.
England gave away the match away- Sir Geoffrey Boycott
In his column for The Telegraph, Boycott expressed that there is no glory in defeat, emphasizing that England squandered an opportunity to win the match.
“Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes are besotted with attack, attack, attack. It’s as if they say ‘If we can’t win, we will go down in glorious failure instead.’ But there is no glory in failure or defeat,” he wrote.
“Bazball is great entertainment when it comes off. But once you believe in an ideal over substance then you have lost the plot. Today England gave the match away. Bazball was a failure,”
The seasoned veteran with 108 Tests to his name argued that England didn’t learn from their mistakes in the 2023 Ashes, which ended in a 2-2 draw. He explained,
“The best way to achieve a total of nearly 400 is by one of the batsmen scoring a big hundred. Looking to go after good bowlers and score quickly comes with risk. But why can’t our team play positively and with common sense?
Opener Zak Crawley emerged as England’s top performer with a pair of 70s in both innings. Despite his notable contributions, Crawley couldn’t find sufficient support from his teammates in either inning.
Pick your moments when to attack and defend– Sir Geoffrey Boycott
Boycott emphasized the importance of having at least one batter scoring a substantial hundred when chasing a target of 399. He suggested that England needs to better understand when to adopt an attacking approach and when to focus on defense.
“Batting has always been about being able to adapt to the circumstances, whether that is conditions or the opponents. Pick your moments when to attack and defend. If a particular bowler is in a good spell then just stay in and get through it,”
The Test series between India and England is currently tied at 1-1, and the third Test is scheduled to commence on February 15 in Rajkot.