Ashes 2023: England promise to continue Bazball and it might not be good news for Australia

Someone had to win and someone had to lose. But the entertainment that the first Ashes Test provided, despite having been played on one of the most docile pitches, was unmatched.

The Edgbaston hosted sell-out crowds with the Hollies lighting up the stands, dancing to the tunes of master orchestrator Stuart Broad, who enjoyed what might probably be one of the last few matches of his Ashes journey.

England promised entertainment, and they delivered big on it. Everyone, including the Australian players, were on the edge of their seats, when the first Test boiled down to the final session. Two contrasting styles going head-to-head was a treat to watch as Bazball is being seen as one of the feasible ways of keeping Test cricket alive and kicking.

However, despite all the fancy terms and entertainment for fans, England lost the first Test. After being in the driver’s seat for most part of the action in Birmingham, they were undone by a couple of brilliant performances from Australia, which includes an old-fashioned grind from Usman Khawaja.

Questions are being asked about some of the calls that England made throughout the course of 5 days. Bazball, this aggressive and fearless approach of playing the red-ball game, is being doubted once again. Criticism has reached crescendo after the opening Test as Bazball’s sanenness is being questioned.

Legendary Ricky Ponting, speaking to Sky Sports, said he enjoyed watching England play but was not sure whether Bazball would work against the mighty Australians in the remainder of the Ashes. Well, Ponting certainly seems to have echoed the thoughts of quite a few followers of the game.

“I think England have got the most questions to answer. Their style of play: Is it going to hold up in an Ashes series? By no means am I saying that England’s method is wrong, I have loved watching them play, but it just goes to show there is more than one way to skin a cat,” Ponting had said.

Former England captain Nasser Hussain highlighted how the teams in the past did not need Bazball to beat Australia in Ashes and said Ben Stokes’s side can’t hide behind ‘wanting to entertain’ attitude.

BAZBALL WILL CONTINUE

While England’s approach seem to have led to more questions than answers, Stokes and Brendon McCullum are unlikely to hold back. In fact, Stokes, and even their former captain Joe Root, have promised that England will go hard at Australia when the two teams meet at Lord’s for the 2nd Test from June 28.

While winning is the ultimate aim in professional sport, England are trying to do it by having fun on the field. Not once did England players sink to the ground after finishing on the wrong side of one of the all-time great Test matches. Ben Stokes was positive and so was Joe Root, who enjoyed his chat with the host board, after knowing fully well that they had delivered on the promise.

Questions were asked whether England would Bazball against Australia, the World Test champions in a series of the magnitude of the Ashes. But England came out all guns blazing and took Australia by surprise. The fields that Pat Cummins set for England on Day 1 was a telling sign that England had made the impact that they wanted to in the series opener.

Ben Stokes, of course, insisted that England players were hurt after losing the first Test, but he also said the hosts won’t dwell on it and look at things based on hindsight.

He defended his decision to declare on the opening day of the first Test. England made 393 for 8 in just 78 overs. Joe Root, the world’s best Test batter, was not out on 121, having good support from Ollie Robinson, who is no mug with the bat. However, England stunned the world by declaring their innings.

In the end, England lost by 2 wickets, failing to defend 280 on the final day. England had Australia reeling at 227 for 8 but could not stop Pat Cummins and his partner, Nathan Lyon, from helping Australia cross the finish line. There was a difficult chance put down by Stokes, which handed Lyon a reprieve when Australia needed 30-odd runs.

ARROGANT CALL?

It’s easy to be critical and call England’s decision to declare ‘arrogant’ but had it not been for the declaration, would they have been able to give themselves a chance to push for the win on the final day despite all the wet weather in Birmingham?

“I am not going to change the way I have gone about my cricket because it is the Ashes. Who knows we could have got an extra 40 runs or lost two wickets in two balls. I am not a captain who gets by on what ifs,” Stokes said when asked about the declaration after the Test was lost.

England are not here to impose Bazall, but find joy in playing without the fear of failure and find joy in the manner in which they have been able to stay true to how they have wanted to do it.

11-3 hasn’t come overnight. England have proved doubters wrong quite a few times in the nascent history of the Bazball era. If anything, this approach will only make them approach the Lord’s Test with much less pressure than one would hope against a fired-up visiting Australian side.

England have shown in Birmingham that they have plenty of room to improve. Right from the team selection to converting starts into that one big knock and converting half-chances, England can be a better unit when they turn up at Lord’s a week from here.

Bazball will evolve and so will Stokes’s England, but the entertainment will only continue.