From Bazball to Blockball: England return to old ways at Lord's
The difference between England's approach at Lord's and what they had been doing over the last three years was stark. This England side holds the record for most runs scored on the first day of a Test match, 506, which came against Pakistan in 2022, in the early days of Bazball.However, on Thursday, July 10, they produced a masterful show of Blockball, perhaps their new brand of Test cricket.| Lord's Test Day 1 Highlights - Scorecard |The tone of mockery only exists because of the hype that England create around their approach to Test cricket. The idea is that entertaining cricket brings back the crowd to a 5-day game.England perhaps learnt the hard way, after toiling for a full 3 years, that no one comes to watch a team that constantly loses matches against tough opponents. In sport, only results matter, and to England's credit, they tried to grind that out of the opposition at Lord's on Thursday.England's batting approach on Thursday impressed India cricketer Cheteshwar Pujara. Commentating on the game, Pujara said that England look like a team who finally mean business. The Test stalwart went as far as saying that this England team could become a real contender for the WTC title in the 2025-27 cycle."If you look at this WTC cycle, England have come up with a clear game plan. It's a revamped version of Bazball. And this is the smart version where they understand the situation of a game. When the opposition is bowling well, they are respecting it, they are willing to leave the ball, they are willing to defend the ball, they are willing to build that partnership. It's not always about counterattacking, and they have understood that. And they are doing it really well," Cheteshwar Pujara said on the broadcast.advertisement"It looks like it'll be a threatening team. This England team looks like they might qualify for the WTC final. It's early days, but this is a different version of Bazball and this is more entertaining from Test cricket's perspective," he added."You can't have just either their way or the highway," concluded Pujara.A quick look at the strike rates of the England batters at Lord's presents how they went against their grain on Thursday.Joe Root batted 191 balls, at a strike rate of 51.83. Ben Stokes, known for his prolific shots down the park, scored at 38.24. None of the English batters scored over a strike rate of 60 on Thursday.This is in sharp contrast to the top England batters in the Bazball era, who have consistently touched the strike rate of 70, leaving the opposition reeling in several games.India faced the worst of it in 2022 and 2025 in Birmingham and Leeds, where England scored down massive totals in swashbuckling fashion.advertisementEngland's Best Batters in Bazball EraJoe RootRuns: 3,198Strike Rate: 68.62Ben DuckettRuns: 2,511Strike Rate: 88.07Harry BrookRuns: 2,438Strike Rate: 88.84Ollie PopeRuns: 2,383Strike Rate: 74.77Zak CrawleyRuns: 2,005Strike Rate: 74.42So why did England play Blockball at Lord's?Batter Ollie Pope spoke to Sky Sports at the end of the day and gave an insight on why England Unbazballed (Blockballed) on July 10."It was a very slow day but credit to the way India bowled. I don't think the pitch offered loads after lunch, it was pretty placid, so India held their lengths well. I think 251-4 is a good score if we can kick on tomorrow," Pope said after stumps on Day 1."It felt like you had to force the ball through, which in England we are not used to. You usually get rewards for your cuts and clips," he added.It was poetic that England's quiet renunciation of Bazball came at Lord's, the home of cricket, the bastion of tradition. For three years, England charged ahead with bravado and boldness, often ignoring the nuances of Test match rhythm. But on Thursday, it was the old ways, patience, grit, and restraint, that made the game beautiful again.advertisementLeading that return was Joe Root, the man once asked to step aside so a new philosophy could rise. On a day built for statement knocks, Root chose to absorb pressure, not create it. And in doing so, he reminded everyone that old elegance still has a place in new cricket.Root struggled for the better part of the day but somehow made it work. 99*That's stumps - Joe Root ends the day one run shy of his 37th Test century pic.twitter.com/st6EKtJ0EO— England Cricket (@englandcricket) July 10, 2025Former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik was all praise for Root, who remained unbeaten on 99 on Thursday."I don't think it was his most fluent day, but you don't need to be at your best to get runs. That is what great batters do. You need to grind it out on tough days, make it count, as the bigger purpose is to take your team to a good place. Root has done that," Karthik said on Sky Sports.England will start Day 2 at 251/4, a score they have not been familiar with on resumption of a Test match for many years. Even if England return to Bazball on Friday, one thing is clear. This team is no longer dogmatic. They are no longer obsessed with proving a point.From rebellious teenagers desperate to shock the world, into seasoned adults who understand what the real currency of elite sport is. England now finally play for the right outcome, the result, not to impress fans with their silly little village way of playing cricket, the so-called Bazball.- EndsYou May Also Like
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