Veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has given his opinion on England’s new style of play in Test cricket which is fondly called the ‘Bazball’. After poor form in Ashes 2021-22 and the West Indies tour, ECB appointed Brendon McCullum as their head coach in Tests, while Joe Root also stepped down as captain to make way for Ben Stokes to take over.
The England cricket team started playing an aggressive brand of cricket under new management in Test cricket which worked well for them in the Test series against New Zealand and the one-off Test against India. Stokes and Co. chased down 300-plus targets in the fourth innings to script some memorable wins.
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Ashwin said that as a bowler it’s scary how England are playing with such an aggressive approach in Test cricket. However, he feels that the pitches also play a big role in England’s new style of play.
“It was amazing to watch, but as a bowler, it is quite scary to think where the game is headed. I definitely think the ball and the pitches have a role to play in how England are playing, permitting a certain brand of cricket,” Ashwin said on the Vaughany and Tuffers Cricket Club podcast.
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Ashwin was not part of India’s XI for the rescheduled fifth Test match against England as the visitors opted to play with four pacers and Ravindra Jadeja as the lone spinner.
He further talked about the new approach of England and said with the way cricket is progressive teams have to find a way to counter the onslaught of the batters.
“I think we need to be careful about this brand of cricket being the way forward. Test cricket has been the same for hundreds of years and there will be games and series that are played like that. Whether it’s the same brand of cricket you play all along is very debatable,” he said.
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