18-06-2025
England must temper Bazball to beat India
In recent years the Headingley pitch has changed. With the sun out it used to be a belter for batting and then in overcast conditions it was lovely for swing and seam bowlers as batsmen hunted to find the ball. Now it tends to look good but can be lively on the first day before getting better for batting with hardly any deterioration.
If England win the toss do not be surprised if they bowl first hoping to get some first day movement. If that happens it is vital to pitch the ball up to a fuller length so the ball can kiss the top. Don't stray from aiming around the off stump and fourth stump. Width gets punished and Headingley is not a bang it in pitch. If you try that method, the ball sits up and says hit me.
Most modern day batsmen are fantastic at scoring quickly on flat, grassless pitches but not great at playing the moving ball as we saw in the first three innings of the World Test Championship final between Australia and South Africa. They go hard at the ball because they have been brought up on lots of T20 cricket where they are expected to smash every delivery.
T20 is mainly a batting game. Risk is acceptable so long as your striking rate is way above 100. Twenty off ten balls is seen as a success because that means you have a strike rate of 200. But 20 runs won't win a Test match. Centuries do. That is the difference. In the 108 Tests I played, England never lost a Test match when I made a hundred. Ian Bell is the only other player that can say that.
When there is movement off the seam or in the air it is more important to get a big stride forward to get as close to the pitch of the ball as possible with the bat coming down close to the pad so that there is no gap. On the front foot the nearer you can get to the pitch, the less distance the ball has to travel to your bat which means less movement. The bat is only four and a quarter inches wide so from the middle of the bat the ball only has to move two inches and you have nicked it. Not much margin for error.
Next, the most important thing is not to push hard at the ball. See the ball early but play it late. Not easy to do. But train yourself to let the ball come to you and play it close to your pad and under your eyes. That way your eyes are on the line of the ball and right over it.
When the ball swings it is vital to not go early at the line of the ball because by the time it gets to you it has moved and you will nick it. If you can learn to wait then you can go with the swing or 'ride it'.
When the ball is short of a length get as far back in the crease as possible and again do not push at it. Wait for it, and play the ball as close to your body as possible.
Your footwork has to be right forward or right back, with no half strides, plus waiting and playing it late are priceless when the ball moves around.
The mind dictates everything so it is vital when batting in seamer friendly conditions you have a clear plan. Your first thought should be to survive and to do that when you first go in you need a good defence. Trying to immediately attack the moving ball is a recipe for disaster. Once you can stay in it gets easier and you will get balls to hit. That is where Bazball has to be blended with patience otherwise it is a recipe for disaster.
