"No Bazball But Prankball": Ashwin Mocks England For Sluggish Approach

Akshita Patel

Ashwin Takes Dig At England's Bazball [Source: @abhi7781_, @SPORTYVISHAL/X.com]Ashwin Takes Dig At England's Bazball [Source: @abhi7781_, @SPORTYVISHAL/X.com]

Ravichandran Ashwin didn’t hold back as he reacted to England’s surprising tactics in the third Test against India at Lord’s. Known for their fearless ‘Bazball’ style under captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum, England unexpectedly changed gears on Day 1, and Ashwin called it a “betrayal.”

Instead of going all out against Indian bowlers in the first inning, the host team opted for a more conservative approach and batted 112.3 overs to score 387 runs. Their run rate was consistently below 5, raising doubts on their infamous attacking ‘‘Bazball’ style. 

Ravi Ashwin Taunts England For Dumping ‘Bazball’

Speaking on his YouTube channel, former Indian cricketer Ravichandran Ashwin criticised England for abandoning their usual attacking mindset. He coined a new word, ‘Prankball’, to state how the Englishmen fooled the fans with their conservative approach.

"It was a great day for England. Everyone believed England was going to continue with Bazball, but they betrayed everyone by playing Prankball instead. Their run rate dropped and they looked far more defensive than expected," Ashwin said.

Ashwin, however, did praise Joe Root’s calm and composed innings, calling it a lesson in how Test cricket should be played. Root, one of England’s best Test batters, made a solid comeback after a quiet run, scoring 104 off 199 balls.

"I had previously discussed that Joe Root scoring runs is very important for England. And just when it was needed, he delivered. That knock was a proper lesson in how to play Test cricket. Root is back," Ashwin added.

Ashwin Compares Lord’s Pitch To Subcontinent Wickets

Ravichandran Ashwin’s analysis then shifted to the pitch of the Lord’s Cricket Ground for the third Test between India and England. In a candid confession, he said the Lord’s wicket reminded him of subcontinent tracks. 

"If you look at this pitch, it possesses some sub-continent tendencies. The ball usually softens up after 60 overs, but if you look at Ravindra Jadeja, one back of a length delivery hit Joe Root's bat very low. Now, this on Day 1 at Lord's is quite a contrast to the conditions that you expect in England. The up and bounce at Lord's was always going to be a concern, and we saw that when Nitish Reddy picked up two wickets and also had Ben Stokes in trouble momentarily," he concluded.

That being said, India bowled out England for 387 runs after late resistance from Jamie Smith (51) and Brydon Carse (56). In response, India were 145/3 at stumps on Day 2 with KL Rahul unbeaten on 53 off 113 balls.