England’s commitment to an aggressive strategy – Bazball – in challenging conditions against top-tier spinners was a focal point in the buildup to their five-match Test series against India.
Well, the initial session of the opening Test provided a preview of the highly anticipated Bazball, with England’s openers giving the team a strong start. Opting to bat after winning the toss, the contest between bat and ball unfolded as Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj opened the proceedings for India. England’s openers, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett, added to the excitement by consistently hitting at least one boundary in each over until the sixth over.
Nonetheless, the arrival of India’s highly successful spin pair in Tests, Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin, dampened the aggressive momentum displayed by the English openers. The spin duo made quick work of England’s top order, with Ashwin claiming the first wicket for India by dismissing Duckett at 35. Shortly thereafter, Jadeja joined in by taking Ollie Pope’s wicket, and in the very next over, Ashwin secured the dismissal of Zak Crawley.
India’s Bharat Army Trolled Bazball
Fans quickly shared their thoughts on whether Bazball would work well in Indian conditions. Here are some reactions from Twitter:
Ashwin & Jadeja dismantling Bazball 🫡 https://t.co/D4Wst13nmb pic.twitter.com/0DndXfrNQ6
— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) January 25, 2024
When Bazball meets Ashball @ashwinravi99 pic.twitter.com/dILDvLnR1d https://t.co/3ZPa3UjwQa
— ஏகாதேசி (@aegadhesi) January 25, 2024
Meanwhile, India’s Bharat Army also took the opportunity to troll the Bazball as they sang in unison “White ball. Red ball. Where is your Bazball?”, trolling the England cricket team for their aggressive approach, which was nowhere to be seen against India.
Watch the video:
👀 White ball. Red ball. Where is your Bazball?#INDvENG #INDvsENG #TeamIndia #BharatArmy #COTI🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/hvs1StJYLu
— The Bharat Army (@thebharatarmy) January 25, 2024
At the time of writing this article, Ben Stokes and the England team are struggling at 155/7. Jasprit Bumrah took his first wicket of the innings by cleverly dismissing Rehan Ahmed with an off-cutter.
ALSO READ: “Baz Hates It…” – Ben Stokes Made A Big Statement On The Term ‘Bazball’
