'Can they consistently do that in every country they tour? - Ashwin on England's 'Bazball'
Ravichandran Ashwin took note of England continuing their ultraggressive approach with the bat in hand and said the team's next challenge under the Ben Stokes-Brendon McCullum regime would be to replicate their success in different conditions.
Ashwin praised the three lions for their incredible triumph in the first Test in Rawalpindi against Pakistan, wherein Stokes & company reigned supreme to score 657 and 264/7 declared at a tempo above 6 runs an over and then toppled off the hosts for 579 and 268 on a docile surface in an equally impressive bowling display.
The premier India off-spinner indirectly threw a challenge to McCullum and his wards, whether they have it in them to persist with this ploy over a large sample size on unique and more challenging surfaces across conditions.
R Ashwin on 'BazBall'
"Michael Atherton has said that they will play like this everywhere. During the Test match, Bazid Khan said that England had nothing to lose from this Test match as they are not in contention for the WTC final to which Atherton replied that McCullum and Ben Stokes has decided that is going to be their approach going forward," Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
Ashwin recognised what Bazball stands for, posing a pursuit to destroy opposition field-settings and bowling plans in terms of lengths and lines regardless of the surface. "No matter how the pitch is, it looked like they will play this way and take the pitch out of the equation," he said. "That what England exactly did. Looking forward to seeing more of Bazball."
"We will see how Bazball goes and in what approach it goes because in this Test match, England scored 921 runs in 137 overs at 6.7 RPO. Can you believe it?"
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The Indian cricketer pressed on his point, though, asking indirectly if England have it in them to continue pressing hard with the bat in countries like India, Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, New Zealand and elsewhere against quality bowlers on pitches that move laterally.
"They are playing the way that would suit them using the marketability and stuff. But until this Test, they largely played on home soil. But this game was played in Pakistan and to produce thus result here has impressed many people," said the great bowler.
"Many people are saying that this is the way Test cricket should be played. But as far as I am concerned, can they consistently do that in every country they tour? Say South Africa, Australia, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka."