London [UK], August 5 : Team India has secured a brilliant 2-2 series draw against England away from home, kickstarting the Shubman Gill era with immense promise, a display of pure resilience and 'Never Give Up' attitude and has once again left the hosts wondering, if their 'Bazball' school of cricket under skipper Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum is worth going forward anymore.
Ever since Stokes and McCullum took over the reins of the England Test team as a duo in May 2022, they have treated world cricket to some entertaining Test cricket. Sky-rocketing strike rates, big sixes, positive intent, immense confidence, attacking bowling line and lengths have become the hallmark of this English line-up. Despite the promise, the team has failed to reach the finals of the ICC World Test Championships (WTC) in the 2021-23 and 2023-25 cycles.
'Bazball' has fared well against teams other than England and Australia, giving them 19 wins, six losses and a total of eight series wins out of 10.
However, against India and Australia, they have not won any series out of three. Against these two sides combined, England has won six matches, lost eight and drawn two. While they secured a well-fought, come from behind Ashes series draw against Australia back in 2023 by 2-2, they lost the series against India by 1-4 away from home, with their brand of cricket failing against Indian spinners Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav at subcontinental dustbowls served to them. Now, at home, they have settled for a 2-2 draw against India.
However, Stokes and McCullum helped England secure a series draw against India in the 2021 Test series as the fifth and final Test of the series, rescheduled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, was played in July 2022. This was the first time when India got the bitter taste of Bazball, as Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow struck powerful centuries while chasing 378 easily. The first four Tests of the series though, were played under captain Joe Root and Chris Silverwood.
With the Ashes away from home starting at Perth from November 21 onwards, will England be able to turn things around and secure their first series win in Australia since 2011?
Coming to the match, after England opted to bowl first, they reduced India to 153/6. A 58-run partnership between Karun Nair (57 in 109 balls, with eight fours) and Washington Sundar (26 in 55 balls, with three fours) was the most meaningful part of the inning as India was bundled out for 224 runs. Apart from Gus Atkinson's five-wicket haul, Josh Tongue (3/57) was also good.
In the second innings, four-fers from Siraj (4/86) and Prasidh Krishna (4/62) reduced England to 247, despite a 92-run opening stand between Zak Crawley (64 in 57 balls, with 14 fours) and Ben Duckett (43 in 38 balls, with five fours and two sixes) and a fifty by Harry Brook (53 in 64 balls, with five fours and a six). They led by 23 runs.
In India's second innings, key contributions came from Yashasvi Jaiswal (118 in 164 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes), Akash Deep (66 in 94 balls, with 12 fours), Ravindra Jadeja (53 in 77 balls, with five fours) and Washington Sundar (53 in 46 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes).
Sundar stitched a very crucial 10th wicket stand with Krishna, with the latter scoring nothing out of it and Sundar doing all the hitting.
They all took India to 396 runs, giving them a 373-run lead and setting a target of 374 runs for England to win the series.
India started well, reducing England to 106/3. However, fine centuries from Harry Brook (111 in 98 balls, with 14 fours and two sixes) and Joe Root (105 in 152 balls, with 12 fours) troubled India with a 195-run stand for the fourth wicket. At one point, England was 317/4 on day four. However, a late surge by Siraj (5/104) and Krishna (4/126) shifted the pressure to England, and they were left six runs short, bundled out for 367 runs.
The series is drawn 2-2, reflecting the true nature of how well-fought the series was. The Shubman Gill era has started with immense promise and fight, giving signs of a bright future.
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