England Test coach Brendon McCullum acknowledged that with the renowned ‘Bazball’ way of playing red-ball cricket his team will face a formidable challenge when they face against India in a five-Test series in India in January-March next year.
The series will begin on January 25 in Hyderabad with the second Test to be played in Vishakhapatnam from February 2nd onwards. The third, fourth, and fifth Tests will be played at Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamshala respectively.
Brendon McCullum, the head coach of the England Test cricket team, has emphasized the formidable challenge awaiting England in the upcoming series against India. He added that this series would be the ultimate test of England's distinctive and aggressive style of Test cricket known as Bazball.
This contest, according to McCullum, will be a pivotal moment to assess the efficacy of England's bold and attacking approach in the realm of Test cricket.
“We have got a huge challenge against a very good Indian team in five Tests in India. I am excited about it because you want to test yourself against the best side, and I genuinely believe that India is the best in their conditions. It is going to be a good challenge for us. If we have success, then fabulous; if we don’t, then I know we will go down in the style that we want to go down," said McCullum at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Leaders Meet India.
He further elaborated on his perspectives regarding the core principles and significance encapsulated by Bazball.
"We are playing the game because we love cricket and we want to try and be as good at cricket as we possibly can. During the time that you are in the chair, you want to make sure you enjoy it and you shouldn't wait till the end of your career to do so. We are very lucky that we have had some immediate success but I don't think it is the ceiling for us. I think we have seen some guys who have unlocked their potential in the last 18 months or so and that's what the job is as a leader -- to get the most out of the people that you're in charge of," he said.
Brendon McCullum was the first centurion in the Indian Premier League, scoring a brilliant 158* for Kolkata Knight Riders against Royal Challengers Bangalore in the first-ever match of IPL 2008.
He reminisced about that knock and credited this unbelievable knock as the inspiration for the Bazball phenomenon and how he still daydreams about this life-changing moment.
He said, "The reason why I daydream about that moment is because it changed my life. I was just a cricketer for New Zealand, where no one knew what you did, where you're from or what you're capable of. But that day provided the platform, the forum, and the opportunity to change my life.”
(With IANS inputs)
