'Bazball Or Whatever Ball You Call It': India Great's Dig At Ben Stokes And Co's Misfiring England

28.02.2024 - 03:43 sports.ndtv.com

The Indian cricket team sealed a memorable series win against England with a five-wicket victory in Ranchi in the fourth Test.

Despite top stars like Jasprit Bumrah missing from action, the young guns under Rohit Sharma galvanised into a pack of powerful performers.

Though England looked in control in phases of the game, India were able wrest control with youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel stepping up in the series.

India's performance has put a question mark on England's Bazball strategy, as they have now lost the first series since the ultra-aggressive approach by coach Brendon McCullum.

cricket Ben Stokes India Cricket Team England Cricket Team India vs England 2024 call Joe Root Brendon Maccullum Anil Kumble Yashasvi Jaiswal Jasprit Bumrah India

As Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill piled up their respective centuries on Day 2 of the 5th Test in Dharamsala, England captain Ben Stokes took the matter into his own hands, bowling for the first time in the series. Rohit and Gill looked in absolute control in the first session which was dominated by India. At the lunch break, Stokes was seen warming up with the ball, sending a signal that he could bowl soon. The England captain bowled the second over after Lunch and clean-bowled Rohit on the very first delivery.

'Gulf Huge' Between India, England: Ex-Captain Gives Ben Stokes And Co. A Reality Check

India handed England their first series defeat in the 'Bazball' era heralded by Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. As the two teams get down to action one final time in the fifth Test in Dharamsala, the Stokes-led side would like to go back home with a 2-3 series result. After winning the first Test, the side is on a three-match losing streak. Former England captain Nasser Hussain fells that for all the talks about Bazball, sitting second last in the World Test Championship table tells a lot.

"Looks Like An Absolute Belter": Ben Stokes On Dharamsala Pitch Ahead Of 5th Test

England captain Ben Stokes called the Dharamsala pitch an absolute belter and that is the main reason why he did not pick an extra pacer for the fifth and final Test against India starting on Thursday. Dharamsala is colder than usual for this time of the year keeping the pacers interested but considering no grass has been left on the surface, the England batters are licking their lips. Bringing in Mark Wood for Ollie Robinson was the only change England made to their playing eleven.

India's Predicted XI vs England 5th Test: Devdutt Padikkal To Replace Rajat Patidar?

The Rohit Sharma-led Team India is all set to take on England in the fifth and final Test of the five-match series, starting March 7 at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala. The Anthony de Mello Trophy has already been clinched by India as they head into the fifth match of the series with a 3-1 lead. England began the series on a winning note at Hyderabad. However, India bounced back with three successive wins to hand England their first Test series defeat since Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes took charge as coach and captain, respectively.

"Reckless And Too Cocky": England Great Criticises Ben Stokes And Co. After Test Series Loss To India

India on Monday defeated England by five wickets in the Ranchi Test to take an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the five-match series. Despite trailing 0-1, the host team put on a brilliant comeback to seal the series with a match to go. Meanwhile, it was the first series defeat for captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum since they took charge in 2022 and changed England's fortunes with their attacking philosophy dubbed 'Bazball'. Getting critical of the team's approach, England's legendary batter Geoffrey Boycott said that the batting cost the Three Lions the series.

"No One Bigger Than Game": On Rohit Sharma's Stern 'Hunger' Statement, India Great And Cricket Associations React

India skipper Rohit Sharma's assertion that Test opportunities should be only for those who show hunger for the format found resonance with state associations grappling with youngsters desperate to make a name in white-ball cricket but reluctant to grind it out in first-class games. With the advent of IPL, the club vs country debate has been raging for years now and Rohit's stern statement came at a time when two established names in Indian cricket -- Shreyas Iyer and Ishan Kishan -- ignored a BCCI diktat to play Ranji Trophy quarterfinals, focussing instead on their IPL preparations.