Will BazBall Work In India? Ben Stokes' No-Nonsense Response
Ben Stokes' England stood by their 'BazBall' approach even after going 0-2 down to Australia in the Ashes series.
- NDTV Sports Desk
- Updated: August 01, 2023 03:06 PM IST
The England cricket team's 'BazBall' truly came to the fore in the 5-match Ashes series against Australia. Though the series ended 2-2, the manner in which England fought back after losing the first two matches, earned them plenty of plaudits. While the 'BazBall' has shown how entertaining it can make Test cricket, there still remain doubts over its application all across the globe. When England skipper Ben Stokes was asked if BazBall can work against in India, he was straightforward with his response.
"I remember when we beat New Zealand 3-0, (the chatter) was we couldn't do it against South Africa, (we) couldn't do it against Pakistan, (we) couldn't do it against Australia. So who knows if we can do it against India, only time will tell," Stokes said after the 5th Test at The Oval in London.
After England lost the first two matches of the series, many questioned the team's style of play. But, England made a comeback by sticking to their approach in the series.
At the post-match presentation ceremony, Stokes said that the 2-2 scoreline was fair reflection of how the series went.
"Feel really good. 2-2 is a fair reflection at the end of the series. Australia, WTC champions, absolute quality team. Don't think many teams would've been able to respond like we did after being 2-0 down. Very proud of the entire team and the effort they put in. Having played a lot of cricket here, you know what it's like in the 4th innings. Australia played really well yesterday but turning up here and knowing that you still need 250 runs is really tough. The wickets came in clusters like they usually do.
"Our mentality was great. Real good, the way in which Woakes has come in. Not only with the ball but also with some crucial runs. He did an amazing job in the first two Test matches he came in. Wood could barely walk today, he was very sore but