Bazball fine, but Tests are won by bowlers

Dharamsala: England had won 13 of the 20 Tests since the coming together of the coach-captain duo of Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes in April 2022. Having seen just one win in 17 Tests leading to Joe Root's resignation as skipper, the new-found success, credited to the team's fearless approach with the bat, received overwhelming approval from the English cricket fraternity. The series win in Pakistan, a 3-0 whitewash of the hosts and the first in the sub-continent, in December 2022 gave them the confidence of accomplishing the task even in India, which had remained impregnable for more than 12 years.    

India was always going to be an interesting battle for England. How would the dynamic visiting batters, who had redefined Test batting, fare against the world's craftiest spinners? The Sehwags and the Pants, the Haydens and the Gilchrists may not quite agree with the "redefining" part, but the truth is while an individual or two was comfortable under the skins in carrying out that task, the entire England line-up had a diktat to perform the task and they mostly did so. So, India was going to be their most challenging duel yet. The comeback win in Hyderabad in the opening Test only reaffirmed their unflinching belief in Bazball. England, it appeared, were on to something truly remarkable. Not since Alastair Cook-led England in 2012 had a team managed to win a series in India but Stokes & Co looked good to emulate their predecessors.

India's proud record faced genuine threat. It wasn't just the win in Hyderabad that gave way to that feeling but also the manner in which England fought back after conceding a nearly 200-run first innings lead. Virat Kohli had already pulled out of the first two Tests, KL Rahul missed the subsequent four Tests and Ravindra Jadeja was unavailable for the second. Low on morale and thin on experience, India, for the first time since the early 2000s, weren't the favourites ahead of a Test at home. That in itself was a big vindication of Bazball.

The tourists' strategy was so impactful that some of the Indian commentators even lamented Indian the batters' reluctance or inability to play the sweep which the England batters had employed to stunning success. It was entertaining, effective and even tempting to embrace. India, however, didn't fall for the bait. They believed in their superior skills and kept faith in their methods. England's soft spot was their inexperienced spin bowling and India's weak link was their inexperienced batting. But India's inexperience turned into an advantage for them. 

Fresh from a few seasons of domestic cricket, where they had encountered spinners regularly, youngsters like Yashasvi Jaiswal and debutants Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel and Devdutt Padikkal showed the way. The senior batters gradually found their range and rhythm and soon it became an intimidating batting line-up. With spinners struggling to make a big impact initially, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and debutant pacer Akash Deep, at various stages, put their hand up and delivered. But one couldn't have kept R Ashwin and Jadeja quiet for too long.

While England managed to remain competitive till the fourth Test in Ranchi, where the series was sealed, the results weren't justifying their means. India's approach wasn't entirely to grind out the English attack. It was about playing the situation, a judicious blend of belligerence and circumspection. No one epitomised this more than Jaiswal en route to topping 700 runs for the series. England, on the other hand, were uncompromising in their approach. There was no alternative plan and there was no flexibility. England's one-size-fits-all approach was their biggest handicap. But more importantly, they didn't have the bowling resources for these conditions. Bazball is fine, but Tests are still won by the bowlers. Yes, their young spinners showed promise in the first Test and subsequently in patches, but they weren't skillful enough against a set of batters who found their mojo.

"I think India is an amazing place to play because of how fast games can turn and that generally comes in games when the Indian spinners are operating," Stokes admitted when asked what visiting teams need to do to beat India here. "They will always have the upper hand of knowing how to bowl in India and touring teams, spinners can only get better by playing here more. How? I don't know because you only tend to play red ball cricket here in a Test series."

Yes, there is no one single way to win a game, but Bazball isn't necessarily one of them always. The debate has been settled, at least for now.