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As the England cricket team gears up for their tour of India, the concept of ‘Bazball’ has emerged as a topic of discussion. Notably, ‘Bazball’ refers to the aggressive and fearless brand of cricket that England have adopted under their Test coach Brendon McCullum. It represents a swashbuckling style of play that aims to take the attack to the opposition from the very beginning.
Zak Crawley, a promising young batter for England, opened up about the potential success of ‘Bazball’ in India. He believes that the upcoming series against India presents an excellent opportunity for the England team to test their aggressive approach in different conditions.
The challenge ahead is evident, especially considering England’s past struggles against India’s spinners during their last tour in early 2021. After winning the first Test, they suffered heavy defeats in the following matches, highlighting the need for adaptability in Indian conditions.
Crawley acknowledged that the choice of venues for the upcoming tour is unexpected, making it a journey into the unknown for the England team. The diversity of Indian pitches and the varying conditions could prove to be both exciting and challenging for the visiting team.
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Despite being relatively unfamiliar with the Indian grounds and their characteristics, Crawley expressed hope in finding pitches that suit England’s strengths. He specifically mentioned the possibility of seaming and swinging tracks, which could favour England’s seamers.
“I don’t really know much about their grounds. Sometimes in India it seams and swings a bit – and they’ve got unbelievable seamers – so hopefully there are a couple of pitches there that are like that as well, that will suit us a bit more,” said Crawley as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
Crawley expresses confidence in England’s ability to play spin
India is renowned for its world-class spinners, and Crawley recognized the importance of effectively tackling spin during the series. The ability to play spin confidently will be crucial in combating India’s proficiency in utilizing spinners to their advantage in the past.
Reflecting on ‘Bazball’, Crawley believes that England possesses the talent and skill to adapt their aggressive style to any conditions they encounter. If the pitches offer assistance to the seamers, England’s aggressive batting approach may find success. However, if the pitches turn out to be spin-friendly like Ahmedabad and Chennai, which they experienced in their last tour, the England batters are prepared to face the challenge head-on. Crawley expressed confidence in their ability to play spin effectively.
“But if it’s spinning, I feel like we play spin really well as well. We’ll just have to adapt, see what we get. But they are pretty unknown grounds – I don’t know if they’re going to be raggers like Ahmedabad and Chennai, where we were last time,” he added.
Also READ: Spin wizard Nathan Lyon gives his verdict on ‘Bazball’ after Ashes 2023
