Former Indian captain and legendary batsman Sunil Gavaskar commented on Bazball cricket during the ongoing 4th test match between India and Australia and it has left fans baffled.
What is Bazball cricket?
In very simple terms, Baseball is a style of aggressive gameplay without paying attention to the match conditions or worrying about the result. The important focus is on getting a result, whether positive or negative.
Bazball is a term that has become synonymous with Brendon McCullum’s fearless and aggressive style of cricket. As a former New Zealand skipper and one of the most explosive batsmen of his generation, McCullum’s attacking approach to the game was a hallmark of his illustrious career.
Now, as the current coach of the England Test team, McCullum seems to have instilled that same ethos into his players. The English side, under his guidance, has been playing with a similar intent to take the game to the opposition, regardless of the situation or the scoreline.
This approach has been particularly evident in England’s recent Test matches, where they have shown a willingness to attack from the outset, putting the opposition on the back foot and keeping them there. Whether it’s through aggressive strokeplay, clever field placements, or bold bowling changes, the England team seems determined to take the game to the opposition and force them into submission.
What did Gavaskar say about Bazball?
Star Sports, the official broadcaster of the Border Gavaskar trophy run a special campaign on Twitter: #AskTheExpert. In this campaign, fans can post their questions on Twitter, and the lucky ones get a chance to have their questions asked by the experts in the commentary box.
As India were approaching Australia’s total of 480 in the first innings, a fan popped the question on Twitter and asked the experts if India should follow the Bazball approach and try to play aggressive cricket to get a decent amount of lead and get Australia to play again before the day ends.
To everyone’s surprise, Gavaskar replied that he was not familiar with the term and hence could not tell the fan if India should go for it or not. He further added that India have already won the series, and the chances of getting a result on this track seem very bleak. The pressure, however, would be on Australia to try and win the game and level the series.
India have gone past Australia’s score and would not be looking to build a lead from thereon. According to Google’s Win Prediction Tool, Australia have a 0.6% chance of winning the game, whereas India have an 18.9% of winning. There’s’ a heavy 80.5% chance of this game ending in a draw.
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