England refines 'Bazball' approach to beat India with giant first-Test run chase

England's ultra-aggressive approach has brought plenty of highs and some self-inflicted lows, but their thrilling win over India — chasing down 371 to win the first Test — showed a refined version of "Bazball" that could produce a year to remember.
Starting the day needing 351 more runs to win, England's openers knocked off the majority of the runs, with Ben Duckett top-scoring with 149 and Zak Crawley playing an unusually conservative role with the slowest half-century of his career to finish 65 off 126 in a 188-run opening stand.
Crawley and first-innings century-maker Ollie Pope fell in successive Prasidh Krishna overs in the afternoon, and Shardul Thakur was on a hat-trick when he got Duckett and Harry Brook in consecutive deliveries.
But, after a brief cameo by captain Ben Stokes, the last 70 runs were picked off by Joe Root and wicketkeeper Jamie Smith as England completed the 10th highest successful run chase in Test history.
It was a more balanced approach than some of England's recent attempts to change the game with audacious slogging that came off about as often as it failed.
When coach Brendon McCullum teamed up with big-hitting skipper Stokes, the term 'Bazball' quickly became a staple in cricket vernacular, both as a compliment and with derision.
A team that had won one of their previous 17 Test matches not only enjoyed an uplift in results, the manner of their victories came about thanks to a rapid run rate rarely seen in Test cricket.
Criticism came when their aggressive approach was seen as too cavalier, especially during the 2023 Ashes series where they ended up drawing the series despite being in positions to win many games, with players admitting their primary goal was to entertain.
Stokes hinted prior to the highly anticipated Test series against India that his team would refine their approach, to become "smarter" in certain situations.
After an exhilarating five-wicket victory over India in the first Test, a controlled England backed up their skipper's promises.
"The conversations have been tweaked a little bit about being a little bit more clinical and winning more games certainly," Crawley told Sky Sports.
"There's been certain times in the last few years maybe where we've thrown away winning positions and that's what we're trying to just tweak a little bit now, be a fraction more clinical."
A performance former captain Michael Vaughan labelled "Bazball with brains" ensured a crucial period got off to the perfect start ahead of 10 Tests, with the Ashes series in Australia to come next, which could define the McCullum-Stokes era.
"Everyone who went out there and got runs read the situation," Stokes told reporters after England's Headingley win.
"We chose our moments to actually put pressure back on them. We could see, in moments where the game could swing, that we needed to assess and hold off on that pressure.
"Winning any test match is a lot of hard work, but to start a series off with a victory in the way that we've done it here, is very satisfying."
Stokes was the only member of England's top six not to have a knock of at least 40 runs in the game, but he did take vital wickets in both Indian innings in his second Test back from a torn hamstring.
Reuters/ABC

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Hollywood finish as England pull off miracle run chase

Sydney Morning Herald

2 hours ago

Sydney Morning Herald

Hollywood finish as England pull off miracle run chase

In the evening light and as grey clouds circled Headingley, England pulled off another miraculous triumph with a performance that suggests Bazball has shifted into a new, mature phase. Joe Root – of course it was Joe Root – guided them home to a five-wicket victory over India with a nerveless 53 not out after Ben Duckett's 149 made the impossible possible. This win will be all the more satisfying because India were in the ascendancy for most of the Test and England made mistakes but still won. They stuck India in at the toss in glorious batting conditions and conceded 835 runs in the match but still made 373 to win with 13 overs to spare. It is the second-highest total they have successfully chased down in Test cricket and the 10th highest successful chase of all time. They were confidently in charge for most of the final day by batting with great control and at an easy tempo but there were scares when they lost two in two and needed 165 with six wickets left. When Ben Stokes was out there was still another 69 to be chipped away but Jamie Smith and Root put on an ice cool 71 stand. This being Stokes's team there had to be a Hollywood finish. Smith whacked Ravindra Jadeja for six over long-on to win the Test at 6.28pm (UK time), just as the sun burst through to light up the finale. England won by blunting the best bowler in the world, possibly of all time, with Jasprit Bumrah bowling 19 wicketless overs in the fourth innings and with a fifth-day pitch to exploit. An enthralling Test match, only the third in history in which every innings was worth more than 350, was in the balance until an hour after tea on day five and if this is the template of what is to come, then buckle up for the rest of the summer – and the Ashes. This will sit alongside this team's other marvels against New Zealand at Trent Bridge in 2022 when they chased 299 to give birth to Bazball; the 378 against India at Edgbaston a few weeks later; and the 254 against Australia at Leeds two years ago when they made the highest score of the match to win and set up an Ashes comeback from 2-0 down. It was the sixth time this team have defied logic and chased more than 250 to win a Test. Those wins were generally adrenalin-fuelled, seat-of-the-pants thrill rides but this was an outside-lane cruise in a Volvo set up by an unfussy 188-run opening stand between Duckett and Zak Crawley. They soaked up the pressure when Bumrah and Jadeja were on and seized opportunities to score when presented. With a nod to the Ashes, it is a hugely encouraging sign that this team has recognised that winning can be achieved more than one way, and ugly if necessary.