Could England have deployed smarter version of Bazball during the recently concluded 1st Ashes Test at Edgbaston?

The 1st?Test of the Ashes’23, which Australia won out of the jaws of defeat, is helmed by many as one of the most intriguing Ashes battles. It was the combination of the masterclass of Australian skipper Pat Cummins and a courageous batting display by the number 9 – Nathan Lyon, which helped Aussies pull off this heist. The English seemed to have pocketed the match at one point when Australia had lost its last recognized batsman – Alex Carry ala a brilliant return catch by ex-skipper Joe Root. However, it was the 82nd?over of the Australian 2nd?inning, when Patty Cummins decided to take the matter into his hands as he tonked 2 sixes of the bowling of Joe Root shifting the momentum slightly in favour of the Aussies.

While it was a magnificent battle between bat and ball, it seems that England allowed Aussies to come back into the match at multiple stages, when they could have easily killed the match. That said,?tactical blunders are always a perfect recipe for mouth-watering blockbuster contests. A perfect illustration would be India-Pak’s league contest at MCG during the T20 world cup last year, when Babar Azam defied cricketing logic by giving the last over to Mohammad Nawaz, a slow left armer, on a surface which aided seamers throughout the match. What unfolded was an Indian victory, which the Indian fans often use as a balm to what was a disappointing world cup campaign.??

First Innings Declaration

Having won the toss and elected to bat on a shockingly slow and benign surface, being contrary to Stokesy’s demand (Flat and Fast pitches), English clearly had the first advantage. With Zak Crawley hitting the first ball from Cummins for a boundary, the intentions were clear from the get-go – the Bazball play is here to take on the Aussie attack by the horns and that this current lot of English cricketers don’t get overwhelmed by the occasion.

For those who followed this test match, on Day 1, England at the back of a brilliant century from the bat of ex-skipper Joe Root (118 off 152 balls), had compiled an impressive 393-8 in just 78 overs. The usual approach in such a scenario would be to accumulate as many runs as possible in the first innings, specially considering the surface, which offered very little help to the bowlers. However, as they say about English nowadays, they don’t listen to anyone, least the pundits of the cricketing world. Going by their philosophy of all?gung-ho Bazball?approach, Stokes decided to declare the first innings at a point, when the 9th?wicket partnership of 43 runs b/w Rooty and Robbinson had clearly frustrated the Aussie bowling attack. The logic behind the move described by Stokes was to have a crack at Aussie openers in the last session and?pounce on Australia. In the hindsight, another 50 runs to the England’s first innings total of 393 could have proved critical. Defending the move, Stokesy during the post-match press conference said “I am not going to be looking back on this game as ‘what ifs’”. While we completely agree with the philosophy of – give it all and have no regrets, a little bit of introspection and dissection would not do any harm to the formula of?Bazball,?after all, it is still a work in progress.

Root’s poor short selection during the Second Innings

After getting jolted for 27-2 on Day 3, courtesy the only hour in the match where we witnessed the typical overcast English conditions offering help to seamers, England’s magician at number 4 – Rooty, on Day 4 had relatively studied the ship for his side. Throughout the morning of Day 4, Root had looked all at ease. Of course, it would be a sin to not mention about his attempted reverse scoop on the very first ball of Day 4. Yes, that is what?Bazball?is all about - to impose on the opposition that we are here to entertain and take you on head on, no matter what.

At 129-3, moving close to the Lunch session, the game was nicely poised. By this time, Root and Harry Brook had stitched a 50-run partnership and were looking to further build on the lead. However, suddenly on the first ball of 25th?over by Lyon, Root came dancing out of his crease, attempting to hoick Lyon’s delivery across the line. Lyon being a master of his art, very smartly followed Root, and the ball sneaked pass Root’s attempted hoick, giving an easy stumping to Alex Carey. While nobody can criticize Root for playing his cute reverse scoops and dabs towards third man, because those are his shots, but playing across the line on a slow turner against world’s premier off spinner, wasn’t perhaps the best of the judgments made by Rooty. Let’s leave such power shots to Stokes and Bairstow, the designated power hitters of the English team. Root’s slow walk to the dressing room after the dismissal, signified that it was a moment of brain fade for him. Apparently, this was the first time in an illustrious career of 131 test matches, that Root got out stumped. A parallel could be drawn from Cheteshwar Pujara’s dismissal during the Indian second innings at the WTC final, where his innings was short circuited by a very uncharacteristic upper cut.

Had Root shown a little bit of patience with Lyon, who knows what target England could have posted.???

Did Ben Stokes miss the trick by continuing to bowl Root even after Carey’s dismissal ?!

To start with, it was a poor display of batsmanship and game awareness from Australians to have allowed Joe Root, a part timer (notwithstanding his 5-fer against India at Ahmedabad), to get away with an economical spell (15-2-43-1), particularly when the designated spinner Moen Ali had injured his finger. Joe Root being in the form of his life, could do no wrong as he kept the pressure from one end by bowling economically and also taking the prized scalp of Alex Carey, the last of the recognized batsman. Rooty had done more than his team had asked for. However, as they say about this game – It is a great leveller. After the wicket of Carey, logically, Stokes ought to have deployed pacers from both ends to mop up the lower order (the three No. 11’s as described by English pacer – Ollie Robinson). The replacement of Root with a pacer made much more sense, as now at the crease, there were two right handers, negating the advantage which Root being an offie had against the left-handed Carey. However, the present English skipper despises anything which is even remotely close to conventional, to say the least. Stokes continued with Root for another over. Seeing the opportunity, Cummins took his chances, by going aerial against Root, as he smashed 14 runs of the Root’s last over which in my view turned out to be decisive. Australia needed 54 before Root’s last over and by the end of Root’s over the target was reduced to 39. As fate would have it, Australia did not loose any other wicket and went on to win the game, with Cummins very deftly scoring a boundary towards third man as the winning runs.

And this is why, tactical blunders often yield riveting contest between bat and ball.

If going by the way 1st?Test has panned out, Ashes’23 could probably be one of the most closely fought Ashes saga and dare I say… this could even better the summer of Ashes’05.

Notwithstanding the tactical goof ups by English side, make no mistake, come the 2nd?Test, England are going to come even harder, as this Bazball driven side –?does not fire bullets but launches missiles.?