England started their five-Test tour of India with a 28-run victory in Hyderabad. However, the visitors went down in the next three matches in Vizag, Rajkot and Ranchi to concede the series.
While the Three Lions were somewhat competitive in the second, third and fourth Tests, they were totally outplayed in the series finale in Dharamsala, losing the match by an innings and 64 runs.
The humiliating 4-1 series loss marked a significant setback for England's previously heralded ultra-aggressive 'Bazball' approach, which has been their winning mantra since 2022.
Amid the criticism, veteran India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has backed the ‘Bazball’ method to get success in future.
“So many people have commented that they lost 1-4, but in my opinion, we really came under immense pressure in the series. If the team manages to get the right balance, it is bound for success,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Despite the pressure England put them under, India overcame the inexperience of their own players to bounce back in the series after losing the first game.
Ashwin cited the example of Zak Crawley’s dismissal in the first innings of Dharamsala Test to point out a flaw in the Bazball method.
“Kuldeep’s Zak Crawley dismissal was a beauty. He had hit a boundary between covers and mid off just on over back. So he was in good flow. The gap still existed as bait for him. He tried again, got cramped and the ball passed between his gates. He had already hit four-five boundaries. It’s not that we bowled fuller suddenly. When such high-risk shot is played, he loses his wicket. Crawley’s scores in 60s and 70s are pearls that missed becoming a hundred because of his high-risk cricket,” the senior spinner remarked.
“Test cricket, or any other form of cricket for that matter, cannot be played like an airplane on a runway. We cannot step on the pedal and accelerate till we take off! It’s the same as driving on highways. Sometimes, when I think of it, is it because of how they drive in England? Driving in England is bliss. No one comes in between. You can keep driving in the same lane. We cannot overtake on the left. They never expect unexpected things. If they see something unexpected, they crash. I have a feeling they will be very confused if they see how we drive in India,” he added.
“In India you cannot always drive in the fourth gear. We keep changing gears. We always keep one foot on the brake. This concept is alien to them! Crawley always gets momentum, but cannot keep it going. Bazball is about the transfer of pressure onto the opponents. But after the transfer of pressure, what happens? They should be like, ‘we have to make them pay!’ If they manage to do that, then the game is on,” he further explained.
Ashwin feels England missed a golden opportunity to win a Test series on Indian soil given the inexperienced in the home side. Notably, India missed the services of several first-choice players like Virat Kohli, Mohammad Shami and KL Rahul (only played the first Test) during the five-match series.
“This series would have gone their way with the inexperience we had (in our ranks). They had a huge chance. Even before they came here, they were down 0-2 in the Ashes and levelled it at 2-2. They then plundered Pakistan at their home. But this series loss is something that Ben Stokes and Co could learn from,” Ashwin stated.
