'They Need A Back-up Plan..', Ex-MI Star Urges ENG To Move On From Bazball In India Tests
Ben Stokes with Brendon McCullum [X.com]
Since England appointed Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes as their new Test head coach and captain, the fortunes of their red-ball cricket have taken a 360 degree, where the Three Lions have won 11 out of 13 matches.
The duo, who are credited for introducing the 'BazBall' style of cricket, which relies primarily on being aggressive and entertaining, will face their stiffest test, when they visit India for a five-match series starting January 25. Meanwhile, former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha has cautioned the visitors with some words of advice.
Ojha explained that England would need to develop a backup for Indian conditions and not rely on 'BazBall', which can be either a hit or a miss.
As quoted by India Today, the former Mumbai Indians spinner explained that England's approach might have worked in Pakistan during their 2022-23 tour; however, the ball game is different in India against the host spinners.
'England need a back-up plan'- Pragyan Ojha
"I feel England will be very confident with the strategy they have adopted. But they need a back-up plan because the conditions won't be like what they were in Pakistan. The wickets were slightly better and favored the batsmen. Here, the conditions will favor the spinners. So how they tackle this will be very important," Ojha said.
"Bazball involves playing fearless cricket and England tries to gain a psychological edge using this strategy. Executing Bazball will be difficult in India because it won't be easy to play the Indian spinners or for that matter Jasprit Bumrah and the other pace bowlers," he added.
For the uninitiated, Stokes and McCullum, under their leadership, helped England become the first time to whitewash Pakistan in a Test in their backyard in 2022-23. They will arrive in India on January 21 and take the field against the hosts in the first Test in Hyderabad on January 25.
 "Vishal Mehra")
