Former England cricketer Geoffrey Boycott believes that the Ben Stokes-led England Test side should focus on playing better than talking big words after their embarrassing loss to India in the third Test in Rajkot.
The Rajkot Test saw England suffer their biggest defeat in the recent past, after both their bowling and batting departments were utterly dominated by the Indian team. With top-notch performances from their Indian opponents like Rohit Sharma, Yashaswi Jaiswal, and Ravindra Jadeja, Ben Stokes and his side suffered a loss by 434 runs on Sunday, February 18.
Since this defeat, the Three Lions have been the center of significant criticism, particularly from former England cricketers. Many have raised questions about their popular Bazball approach and their inexperienced bowling lineup, which failed to restrict India from establishing a substantial 319-run lead in the first innings. This situation worsened when they were left with a mammoth target of 557 runs for their final innings.
However, this England side has never been shy of talking big during the series, something that Former English cricketer Geoffrey Boycott believes has no ground after their recent performances.
England’s players can talk but winning is better- Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England opener Sir Geoffrey Boycott has hit out at the current England team for speaking too much without backing it up with their deeds on the field. Boycott also singled out Ben Duckett over his comments of wanting to chase more runs following his masterful 153 against India in Rajkot.
England’s gigantic 434-run loss in the third Test as Rajkot triggered a backlash, especially for squandering a golden opportunity to bat India out of the game on day 3. However, the tourists got skittled for 319 after collapsing from 224-2 to concede a 126-run lead. India went on to set 557 for England to win and bowled the opposition out for 122.
In his column for The Telegraph, Boycott stated that England can talk about wanting to entertain and attack but must come up with the goods in a timely manner.
“England’s players can talk all they want about being entertainers but winning is better. So much guff comes out of their dressing room about attacking bowlers, imposing themselves on whatever the situation is and that they will chase any target. Ben Duckett was full of himself after his wonderful innings of 153 saying “the more runs we have to chase the better,”
“After their second innings collapse and massive defeat, his comments should embarrass him. If you are going to boast, be outrageously cocky, even arrogant, then you have to back it up with deeds, not words,”
Duckett’s comments suggesting that England deserved credit following day 3 of the Rajkot Test for the opposition also playing aggressively invited a backlash. Even Michael Vaughan asserted that England is not the first team to play attacking shots in the format.
Geoffrey Boycott on England Team’s mindset in the ongoing test series vs India.
The 83-year-old opined that adaptability is critical as Indian pitches are not always conducive to free stroke-play, and altering gameplans is any good sportsman’s hallmark.
“Indian pitches are different. For a couple of days they are good for stroke-play but then they get slower and the ball doesn’t come onto the bat. Some balls stop on the pitch, there is turn and if you just hit through the line then you are asking for trouble,”
” Great sportsmen know how and when to adapt the way they play depending on the conditions and circumstances. It’s not a negative or a failure to alter your mindset or your game plan. It’s called being smart,”
Boycott warned that players cannot be one-trick ponies in this era and said in this regard:
“If an individual or a team can only play or perform one way then they are a one-trick pony and not a great player or great team. At the moment England are in danger of hoisting themselves on their own petard with batsmen being told or believing they must attack, attack, attack all the time,”
The 4th Test between India and England begins on February 23 in Ranchi and the English team who is now lagging 2-1 in the series should be more concentrated on on field performances rather than giving bizarre statements to the media as one loss from here means England is going back empty handed once again from Indian shores.