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There has been a lot of talk about how England have revolutionised Test cricket with their 'BazBall' approach. Since Ben Stokes took over as captain and former New Zealand star Brendon McCullum as coach, the DNA of England's Test cricket seems to have changed.
They have devised a method of fearless cricket, which includes batting with an ultra-attacking approach. That not only gives them the chance to score big but also leaves enough time for their bowlers to pick 20 wickets.
Although this plan has backfired at times, BazBall helped England dominate their home summer and also thrash Pakistan 3-0 in their own den. On that note, let's take a look at five such collective performances from England that have proved how effective BazBall has been:
#5 Versus New Zealand at Mount Maunganui, 2023
The pink ball Test seemed to bring a different challenge to the table when it came to BazBall, as the Kiwi pacers were more than capable of getting enough seam movement and swing.
However, England once again showed that irrespective of the conditions, they are committed to playing the BazBall way. Ben Duckett scored a fantastic 84 (68), while young Harry Brook scored 89 (81), which took the visitors to a competitive total of 325.
Interestingly, with more than 30 overs left in the day, Ben Stokes decided to declare the innings. That was quite a smart decision, as the visitors got to unleash James Anderson and Stuart Broad under the lights in ideal bowling conditions.
The Kiwis lost three wickets in that session. That proved once again just how clever England were in playing ultra-attacking cricket and also giving their bowlers the ideal conditions to bowl.
#4 Versus India at Edgbaston, 2022
The fifth and final Test between India and England in 2021 was delayed for a year due to the rise in COVID-19 cases. The visitors competed really well against a waning England team and led the series 2-1.
A target of 378 just seemed staggering, as many thought the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj would be all over the hosts. That wasn't to be, though, as an incredible partnership of 269 between Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow completely blew away the visitors.
India simply had no answer to the BazBall approach, as England cruised home with a seven-wicket win and avoided a historic series defeat at home.
#3 Versus New Zealand at Trent Bridge, 2023
New Zealand got off to an incredible start in the Trent Bridge Test, as hundreds from Daryl Mitchell (190) and Tom Blundell (119) helped the Kiwis post a mammoth total of 553 in their first innings.
However, Ollie Pope (145) and Joe Root (176) used the BazBall approach to perfection as England piled on 539 in their first essay. The hosts were chasing a target of 299 in the final innings, and the Kiwis seemed to be favourites to win the game had they picked early wickets.
That wasn't to be, though, as after a few hiccups, Jonny Bairstow scored an incredible 136 off just 92. The manner of the defeat certainly seemed to hurt the visitors, as England coasted to victory with five wickets in hand.
#2 Versus Pakistan at Rawalpindi, 2022
The first innings of the first test between England and Pakistan in Karachi spoke volumes about how the visitors were going to apply themselves away from home. England's top three of Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope scored fabulous centuries.
There was one knock, though, that showed just why Harry Brook is rated so highly. The youngster scored a staggering 153 off just 116 to help England cross the 500-run mark on Day 1 of the Test.
Pakistan scored 579 and handed a small second-innings lead. With almost no support in the pitch for the bowlers, it looked like the game would end up in a draw. However, England's BazBall approach helped them set things up nicely for the fourth innings.
The visitors dangled the carrot in front of Pakistan by luring them into chasing an achievable target with ample time left. That proved to be a masterstroke, as the hosts began to believe that they could win the game. In the process, they ended up making some costly errors as England took a 1-0 lead in the series with a minutes left in the Test under fading light.
#1 Versus New Zealand at Headingley Leeds, 2023
Having already lost the series 2-0, the Kiwis still had pride and World Test Championship points at stake. The hosts were reeling at 21-4 when Jonny Bairstow was at the crease, and a lot depended on how he would bat.
Bairstow smashed an incredible 162 off 157 and ensured that the visitors got as close to New Zealand's first-innings total as possible. The explosive right-hander also hit a quickfire 71 off 44 in the second innings to ensure that England chased down a target with ease and wrap up the series 3-0.
This new Bazball approach has allowed and encouraged everyone to play freely and have an attacking mindset. It will be interesting to see under how many different conditions BazBall would still be able to succeed in.
