India bounced back to winning ways against England, sealing a 106-run victory on Day 4 of the second Test match in Vizag, on Monday. The win saw the hosts level the series 1-1 as the visitors wrapped up for 292 in their 399-run chase. With England continuing with their Bazball approach towards the target, it was evident that it was a matter of time that English batters would hand the Indian’s their wickets. With most were taken by disciplined bowling by India some wickets like skipper Ben Stokes and Joe Root’s became the talking and meme material.
England landed on Indian soil having tasted Bazball success versus Pakistan in Asian conditions where they thrashed team Pakistan 3-0 in their own backyard and desired the same to do to repeat the heroics of 2012 where they last won a test series in India this time around with their newly found technique.
England succeeded in beating India from the jaws of defeat in the first test match at Hyderabad thanks to scintillating knock of 196 runs by middle order batter Ollie Pope and Tom Hartley’s debut haul of 7 wickets in the second innings. However somehow having India to the walls 1-0 at Vizag, England batters found out bizarre ways to get out and literally hand over the second match to India who spurred to mammoth win by 106 runs with the Bazball technique remained all exposed.
England’s recent success under talismanic captainship of Ben Stokes
Ben Stokes aggressive approach to captaincy may have failed to claim victory in a hard-fought second Test but the five-match series against India is still wide open at 1-1. Much of England’s success has been attributed to Bazball – the desire to score quickly and tactically rattle the opposition – but this is a misnomer. What Ben Stokes has really done is set out to achieve victory from ball one by playing aggressive cricket in all aspects of the game.
Ben Stokes has been extremely smart to adopt such an approach and his aggressive tactics have brought England great success in the win column. It’s an approach that England were extremely slow to adopt but Stokes has shown himself to be a strong-minded and smart leader.
The England team has great belief in Ben Stokes and it shows both on and off the field. The team takes wickets because they are continually looking for them, and this challenge is accepted by the bowlers. One of the great benefits of this strategy is that it enthuses the best players, and they are the ones most likely to affect the final result.
The team also believe that Ben Stokes’ aggression will help them claim the odd unexpected success. This belief is what generally leads to a team producing something extra that leads to a vital wicket. Stokes’ brilliance in the field helped him produce a run-out at a crucial time in Hyderabad – and it also helped increase team belief.
Ben Stokes’ attitude has helped the younger players believe in themselves, and this is showing in their bowling performances. The success of young players Tom Hartley, Rehan Ahmed and Shoaib Bashir is no fluke; it epitomizes the confidence instilled by Stokes’ approach. Hartley’s success with both bat and ball should make the limited Jack Leach redundant in the Test side. One of England’s weaknesses has been their spin department, but Stokes’ positive approach suddenly means that slow bowling has a number of candidates.
The success of Ollie Pope at No. 3 and the ascent of Harry Brook as a vital middle-order player also means the batting is potentially much stronger.
These marked improvements in talent should ensure that in future England pick their strongest available team for the prevailing conditions. England have erred in the past by not picking their best wicketkeeper and by often shunning the value of extra pace. Injuries to fast bowlers aside, this should be a thing of the past.
It will help England enormously if Stokes is once again able to function as an allrounder, as his bowling is a distinct weapon. It would also help if he fielded in the slips, especially to the spinners, as he is one of the best in that position. The other area where England could improve is in their use of the bouncer. It’s often an overused ploy, and it must be remembered that the biggest advantage of the bouncer is the element of surprise.
One personal area Stokes could look at is his own batting. If he were more proactive at the start of each innings, it would improve his play. Stokes is a very good batter but he’s at his best when he’s looking to score. With all such qualities from skipper Ben Stokes certainly raises hopes for England’s comeback in the remainder of the test series versus India and Former Australian player Ian Chappell feels the same.
England under the aggressive leadership of Ben Stokes are a far cry from the poorly captained Joe Root team- Ian Chappell
Former Australian captain Ian Chappell expects England to provide India with a stern test under the leadership of Ben Stokes in the remaining three Tests of the five-match series.
Before this series, England had scripted an impressive turnaround to their red-ball fortunes under the talismanic all-rounder, winning 13 of their 18 Tests. With question marks over their Bazball style of play attributed to head coach Brendon McCullum, England stunned India by 28 runs in the opening Test.
However, the hosts bounced back in another hard-fought encounter to level the series in Vizag. With the series hanging on a knife edge, Chappell felt the current English side is on the opposite end of the spectrum compared to the one that toured India in 2021.
In his column for ESPN Cricinfo, Chappell wrote:
“As the home side India should eventually win a tough series, but it has a real battle on their hands. England under the aggressive leadership of Stokes are a far cry from the poorly captained Joe Root team that capitulated against spin on their last tour of the country. This India versus England contest is shaping up as it should: a tough five-match encounter between two talented sides,”
While England similarly won the first Test in the 2021 Indian tour under Joe Root, they suffered crushing defeats in the next three matches to suffer a 1-3 series defeat. The two sides will resume battle in the third Test at Rajkot, starting Thursday, February 15.
Ian Chappell in all praise for Ben Stokes and Bazball technique.
Ian Chappell further praised skipper Ben Stokes for changing the players’ mindset to play aggressively and strive for victory from the opening ball of the Test match.
Following dismal results, including a series defeat to the lowly West Indies, the 32-year-old took over as England’s Test captain with Brendon McCullum as coach since mid-2022. The duo has yet to taste a series defeat, with the side praised for playing an exciting brand of cricket in Tests.
“Much of England’s success has been attributed to Bazball – the desire to score quickly and tactically rattle the opposition – but this is a misnomer. What Stokes has really done is set out to achieve victory from ball one by playing aggressive cricket in all aspects of the game. Stokes has been extremely smart to adopt such an approach and his aggressive tactics have brought England great success in the win column,” wrote Chappell.
He added:
“It’s an approach that England were extremely slow to adopt but Stokes has shown himself to be a strong-minded and smart leader. The England team has great belief in Stokes and it shows both on and off the field. The team takes wickets because they are continually looking for them, and this challenge is accepted by the bowlers. The team also believes that Stokes’ aggression will help them claim the odd unexpected success,”
Barring the drawn Ashes and New Zealand series last year, England has emerged victorious in all other affairs. It includes home series wins against New Zealand, South Africa, and Ireland, along with a 3-0 whitewash of Pakistan in Pakistan.
With the series against India now hangs in balance at 1-1 , Ben Stokes and his team after a 10 day break will look to make amends with refreshing strategies and approach with a goal to win a test series in India since 2012.