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England changed the country’s Test fortunes with its attacking philosophy called “Bazball.”
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It was a plan that was embraced by one and all and thousands of high rollers plonked huge sums with their bookies that the visiting squad would finally pierce the solid Fort Agra foundation and end India’s unbeaten 12-year streak at home.
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In fact, England had Rohit Sharma and coach Rahul Dravid gasping for air after winning the first of five Tests. But India fought back in brilliant fashion to win the next three for an unassailable 3-1 lead with the final Test to be played in picturesque Dharamsala on the foot of the Himalayas on March 7.
Since Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum assumed leadership of the listing ship SS England, they transformed the way that country should play the game to be considered among the elite Test nations and it paid huge dividends — until now.
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In the all-important fourth Test in Ranchi, England came within a hair’s breadth of denting India’s proud home record. But in the end, Sharma’s young charges managed to keep that home record intact.
In Ranchi, former skipper Joe Root posted an unbeaten 122 in England’s total of 353 but, in the second innings, India’s spinners wove a tight web and drew the England batsmen into the netting as they managed a meagre 145 with Zak Crawley leading the way with 60.
Old faithful Ravichandran Ashwin was at his brilliant best with five for 51 and Kuldeep Yadav weighed in with four for 22.
India was in a spot of bother in its reply of 307, but a quickfire 90 by 23-year-old wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel — who was playing in just his second Test — rescued the home team from falling further back in the first innings.
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In the second knock, the find of this series, Yashasvi Jaiswal, scored 73 and young England spinner Shoaib Bashir grabbed five for 119. Bashir has made an impressive start to his Test career and had India on the ropes at 192 for five.
Sharma blasted 55 before Shubman Gill (52 not out) and Jurel on 39 guided India home to victory.
Jurel was named player of the Ranchi Test after amassing 175 runs in the two Tests.
With the 20-year-old Bashir making waves for England, it has been India’s 22-year-old opening batsman Jaiswal who has grabbed the headlines. He has amassed 655 runs while Gill has 342. Next comes England players Crawley with 328 followed by Ben Duckett with 319.
England’s new style of play has been the talk of the international circuit, but many of these commentators have short memories or deliberately forgotten those great West Indies and Australian batsmen, who turned that red ball to pulp with their massive hitting.
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The one and only Viv Richards plundered the ball along with Brian Lara prior to Chris Gayle decimated every bowling attack until his retirement last year.
It was England opener Duckett who raised eyebrows when he suggested England’s methods had inspired Jaiswal, who slammed a double century in the third Test at Rajkot.
In his blistering 214 not out, Jaiswal hoisted a Test record-equalling 12 sixes and India strode to a mammoth 434 runs win. It was the left-handed opener’s second double century following the 209 in the previous Test.
Duckett, who himself smashed 153 off just 151 balls in England’s first innings in Rajkot, said of Jaiswal: “When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like should take some credit that they’re playing differently than how other people play Test cricket.”
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Gayle was quick to contradict the Englishman.
“I don’t think he (Jaiswal) learnt it from England,” Gayle said. “That style of play he developed with his coach and mentor (Jwala Singh). He’s just phenomenal. It’s like the guy has been playing for 20 years, unbelievable. I just hope he can keep it up.”
Gayle added: “Attacking cricket has been played for years, even before Chris Gayle actually set foot on the international scene as well.’’
Duckett is probably also unaware of what the Australians minced the opposition with quick runs. In particular was my favourite Aussie bat, Adam Gilchrist. And what about Matthew Hayden, Michael Slater and Ricky Ponting? These guys plundered the ball way before McCullum and Stokes came up with “Bazball.”
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No matter, but it has injected life in the five-day game.
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AUSSIES COMPLETE SWEEP
Australia completed a 3-0 sweep of its three-match Twenty20 series after Matthew Wade’s team won the rain-affected clash by 27 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in Auckland. Australia posted 118 for four and the home team finished on 98 for three despite Glenn Phillips smashing 40 off 24 balls. Aussie star Steve Smith was out for four and his chances of playing in the Twenty20 World Cup in June have faded … New Zealand fast bowler Neil Wagner fought back tears as he announced his retirement from international cricket on Tuesday. The 37-year-old left-armer decided to step down after he was told he wouldn’t be part of squad to take on the Aussies in the coming Test series. Wagner, who played 64 Tests is the fifth-highest Kiwi Test wicket-taker with 260.
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