IND vs ENG, 4th Test: Where does Bazball go from here?

India's batter Dhruv Jurel greets England's players after the fourth Test. (Photo: PTI)

Rohit Sharma, on Monday, became the first captain to register a series-win against England in the Bazball era. The term, coined by the media to define England's ultra-aggressive approach in Test cricket under coach Brendon McCullum, whose nickname is Baz, is now under scanner.

Bazball lifted England out of a hole in March 2022 when they had won only one Test in 17 under Joe Root's captaincy. They were hammered in India, beaten at home, lost the Ashes Down Under and lost in the Caribbean islands, too. Then, Ben Stokes was appointed the new captain, and along with McCullum, he found a method to win Test matches.

The ethos of Bazball is to run into danger without any regrets. It is about playing fearless cricket with attacking decisions even if that leads to defeat; remember Stokes' declaration at 393/8 at Edgbaston in the first Ashes Test in 2023. McCullum had a similar style as a player and captain. He appeared in 101 Tests to score 6,453 runs, including four double hundreds and a triple hundred in the second innings of a Test match.

India breaches Bazball

The aggressive style of play yielded better results than how they had fared in the 15-month span earlier. They beat New Zealand 3-0 at home, South Africa 2-1 at home, drew the series against New Zealand (1-1) away from home and the Ashes (2-2) at home. The 3-0 victory in Pakistan was perhaps the biggest in the Bazball era.

The ongoing series in India was part of Stokes-McCullum's bucket list since there is not much difference between the wickets in India and Pakistan. The series loss to Rohit Sharma's India will not be much of a concern for Stokes as the Bazball era is bringing more people to the stadiums. England's run-rate had increased to 4.65 from 3.15, and they won 13 out of the 19 Tests before the series against India.

England chased down 250-plus targets five times in the Bazball era with the run-rate reading 5.03. Root improved his strike rate to 76.53 from 54.65 with ramp shots, reverse scoops and upper cuts. Bazball has consistently produced results, and a one-off series loss will not dampen the spirit of Stokes and McCullum.

Some English players have been overconfident, and that should not be the mindset. How one soaks up pressure to deliver the final blow effortlessly is also a potent Bazball weapon.