19-07-2025
The fourth age of Bazball: Fewer risks and more sledging
A fter an epic contest at Lord's, England stand within one win of their finest series triumph of the Ben Stokes era. A 3-0 victory in Pakistan in 2022 was impressive, but this would be the first time they have won a five-match series against the big beasts of India or Australia.
Their approach this summer has been notably different. They have not been flawless but their best cricket has shown greater maturity — what has been dubbed 'Bazball with brains'. The run chase at Headingley was measured; the best of the batting and bowling at Lord's on a difficult surface, pragmatic.
Their strike rate of 49.01 in the previous match, the third Test at Lord's, was their slowest since Stokes took over as captain three years ago, and the victory was secured by drying India's runscoring to a trickle — a far cry from the first Bazball summer of 2022, when batsmen were told to embrace the danger and bowlers urged to think of every ball as a wicket-taking opportunity, and not worry about economy rates.
