The talk of the town going into fourth day of the second Vizag Test between India and England was how would England weather the storm, or would they just put the wind in a different direction! India and Jasprit Bumrah have foxed them for the moment, but Bazball will make Test cricket more entertaining and keep the format alive.
The new approach from England is the reason why the fans, back home, thought of waking up early at 4 on a freezing morning, and put their head out of the blanket. Their new style of play is the reason why India, even with a target of 399, was scared of losing. These are the things that would keep Test cricket alive and entertained for a long time.
Wrap Bumrah in the cotton wool for the rest of his career
Have you seen God? Oh, you haven’t? I have perhaps witnessed him a little bit, he opens the bowling for India.
If he wants to travel from point A to point B, offer him a helicopter. If he wants to rest for a few days, give him a 10-star luxury hotel to put his feet up. If he thinks of walking down the road, be careful, keep the traffic signal on red light, and still carry him on the shoulder, but make no mistake, do anything to wrap Bumrah in the cotton wool.
Anyone who still thinks, he is yet to be the best current bowler across three formats, the suggestion for them is to put full attention during the games, and use a better spectacle with some increased eye power.
Bumrah bowled a beautiful five over spell at the start of the day, and went past the outside and inside edge of both the batters in numerous occasions. When you think of his career, you actually forgets these things and something don’t rate him higher, just thing I am saying it, even after putting him as the best bowler in the current world cricket.
As India got a few wickets, the crowd got their voice back, and Rohit brought back Bumrah soon before the break. Johnny Bairstow was perhaps sensed reverse swing straightaway, and thought of the ball going out and coming back in tandem at him, but little he knew about Bumrah’s ability with the seam-up version. He trapped him plumb and went for another.
It’s diamond to have Bumrah in the side as a leader. When No bowler was able to break the eighth wicket long lusting stand between Ben Foakes and Tom Hartley, Bumrah came back and did the job.
Who thought of dismissing a batter with a slower ball, and that too against someone who was batting with such ease. He came and bowled five balls to Foakes with a speed of 138-139 kmph, and Foakes for perhaps a moment thought of reading Bumrah, and there was the mistake he committed. He pushed a gentle 120 ball back to the bowler and gave his wicket away.
It would and could be the best way had Bumrah took the last wicket to end England’s innings, and how can the universe write something different. They had to go with everyone’s wish. And Bumrah cartwheel the stumps, to square the series.
Ind vs Eng, Vizag: Stokes brilliance in the field & Gill’s freezing century spice up moving Day 3
England kept whacking and perhaps overdo things a little bit
The traditional way of Bazball approach from England was to keep on whacking from every start of their batting, and not allowing the bowlers to settle down on their line and lengths, and to a great extent, that has been helping them for a long time, specially against the spinners.
Both Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett smashed it in the previous evening, and as was their nighthawker, Rehan Ahmed, who turned his willow right and left to get two back-to-back boundaries against Axar Patel on the last over of the third day.
They kept on repeating the same story even at the start of the fresh day. Crawley saw off the first five over spell from Bumrah, and went for all of his shots against the spinners. Even though, it’s guaranteed they would go with the same intent for the rest of the series without questioning anything on their players, they would be bit disappointed with some of their shot selections.
It wasn’t sure whether the way Joe Root batted for his short stay was related anyway with his finger injury he took while standing at the first slip to the bowling of Jimmy Anderson, and had to spend much time putting the finger in the icebox out of the ground. He reverse swept Ashwin on his first ball for a boundary, before using his feet to go down town for a huge six. It could have been better had it stayed there for long and put more attention on holding one end, and let the other take care of the Bazball fashion job.
Pope looked to be still thinking about the Bumrah yorker he received in the first innings, but even in his short stay, he looked positive, but he could himself a bit unlucky with Rohit Sharma’s quick reflection in the first slip against the spinner. Bairstow was perhaps looking to see off Bumrah just before lunch, and again become the victim of him.
Crawley would definitely rule himself as the unlucky guy, after a close DRS decision against his name, especially when the Indians too themselves were not sure of it. The ball, hitting Crawley’s pad, still had to travel a few centimeters before crashing onto the stumps, but the technology found it in a different version.
And then the worst thing to happen for them was Ben Stoke’s run-out. Stokes was so lazy in his running between the wickets. Even before his dismissal, there was a moment when the ball hit the stumps and deflected its way and almost went to the rope. Stokes had no knowledge of it, before Foakes made him go for the second run. Even in his dismissal, he wasn’t been strolling, but was jogging, and never expected the ball to come at him. And then that an overthrow, to end his sticky stay.
But there was still fear in the way Tom Hartley was playing his shots around the park, and the more close England went by Tea, losing by 106 at the end, it pictured how much overdo things they did, and could held themselves back for a little bit more. And then, that’s Bazball for the new comers.
Fear is yet to get out of India, England will keep on smashing
Even though India won the game, the fear may still be fresh for India and their fans with the Bazball. There were multiple times when kept themselves intact in the game with some lower order partnerships.
Rohit’s field placement where he kept man outside the 30-yard circle and near to the boundary rope for a long time could have actually won a mini-battle for Bazball. The question could be whether they would still keep on the intent, and the most easy answer is, without any doubt, yes!
India would look to welcome KL Rahul back from injury, even though whether Virat Kohli or Ravindra Jadeja would be available for the rest of the series is yet to be confirmed. For England, they may look to have Ollie Robinson in the side, along with Anderson, who would get fresh after the 11-day break. Root’s finger injury will decide many things going into the series.
But whatever happens, the series has been spicing up, and at Rajkot, on the best batting surface, the team with the best bowling performance would go 2-1 up before Ranchi.
Author: That mAd wrIter
Someone who loves how Steve Smith from being Australia's future Shane Warne has become present Don Bradman, gets inspired by Anderson's longevity, gets awed with Kohli's drive and Southee's bowling action. Never gets excited with stats and records, and believes in instincts, and always questions spinners bowling with the new ball.
