'England Batters Will Try To Attack' - Gavaskar On Why 'Bazball' Might Work

Ben Stokes [X.com]

Sunil Gavaskar believes Team India should be wary of England's ultraggressive approach with the bat and explained why the visitors might be able to succeed with their famed 'Bazball' tactics even in Indian conditions during the upcoming five-match Test series. 

The Indian batting maestro said the intent and ability to destroy opposition plans and lengths they bowl makes 'Bazball' an unprecedented challenge even for a dominant home side like India, who have not conceded a series in their den since November 2012. 

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Ben Stokes and company do not quite have the resources to match Rohit Sharma's men in terms of skill and depth available for dry, turning pitches. However, Gavaskar reckoned their batting would pose a serious headache for the Indian bowlers used to running through teams with ease at home. 

Gavaskar Upholds 'Bazball' Threat 

"It can work in India, it can. If you look at it, in the last few years, the boundaries have become smaller. The bats have become better and better and even mishits are flying over the boundary," Gavaskar told Star Sports in the build-up to the opening Test in Hyderabad, starting Thursday (January 25). 

Gavaskar predicted England batting with great intent to try and ruffle the feathers of famed Indian spin troika Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel. The legend believes the "mentality" England have shown since Stokes has combined with coach Brendon McCullum could be a real handful for the Indians to deal with. 

"I think the England batters will try to attack the spinners out of the game. They will try to hit them into the stands. Yes, they might get dismissed in the process, but you create a mentality," Gavaskar said. 

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"Our spinners also play a lot of T20 cricket. What's your mentality in T20 cricket, there it's okay if you don't pick up wickets, but you are careful not to concede sixes or boundaries. Your flight and line... you tend to change it." 

"Even in Test cricket, if you are attacked at the start of your spell, if you concede a couple of sixes, there is a possibility that our spinners might try to reduce the flight and change the lines and lengths," he added. 

Since transforming their approach as a Test playing unit under the Stokes-McCullum regime in early 2022, England have won 13 of their previous 18 Tests and not conceded a series.