India vs England 1st Test: How Bazball played out amidst the craft and cunning of India’s spin trio

More than the roar from the 24,000 odd spectators and the jubilant celebrations in the middle, it was the sigh of relief from the Indian players at the fall of every England batsman that defined Day 1 of the first Test. It was a day where England’s aggressive approach lived up to its hype until their charismatic captain Ben Stokes (70 off 88) fell as the last wicket.

A first innings total of 246 is definitely not the most damaging one—India have already sped to 119/1—that the Babzallers had inflicted on the opposition. However, on a turning track, in conditions where their approach was untested against three world-class spinners, it was as enterprising as it was anywhere else. This was not at all a bad beginning, though the challenge would be to prolong it a bit more.

This approach of England suited perfectly to the conditions that India threw up. They had more reasons to rely on it, as it gave them the best chance of putting as many runs on board before they were undone by India’s attack. Nothing illustrated it more than the dismissal of Jonny Bairstow. Having built a nice, steady partnership with Joe Root and despite living dangerously on a few occasions, the duo was beginning to concern India when Axar Patel delivered one with Bairstow’s name on it.

B. O. O. M 🎯

Absolute Cracker ⚡️ ⚡️@Jaspritbumrah93 🤝 Timber Strike

Relive that wicket 🎥 🔽

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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 25, 2024

Bairstow did everything he had to the one that angled from Axar’s hands. A forward stride, bat placed before the pad, it was the classical stuff. But Axar – who had only picked three wickets in the four Tests against Australia – had found the right pace to bowl on this surface. It landed and spun viciously to hit the top of off. Maybe Bairstow’s forward stride could have been a bit longer. But against India’s spinners. who keep altering their length, moving front and back almost every alternate ball, looking to survive and score runs needs extraordinary application and a bit of luck.

When such deliveries were bound to come all day along, England were not going to just hang in and bat time. With their approach, it made for a contest, with blows being exchanged constantly. Given the inexperience of their spin attack, the only way England could put some sort of pressure on India was to put up a good total. Winning the toss and batting first, they went in pursuit of it. With the early morning moisture making it for a placid track, Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett got the day going with a flurry of boundaries.

The right-left combination sets the tempo and with nothing alarming on the pitch, they freed their arms when they intended. India’s fielders hardly moved when the ball raced past them. Not once during the new-ball spell of Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj did they swing across the line. With good bounce on offer, they played through the line. Even when Ravindra Jadeja and R Ashwin came on, they didn’t panic. A paddle sweep and a conventional sweep fetched two boundaries for Duckett off Jadeja.

Low catches, done RIGHT! ✅

Relive captain @ImRo45 & @mdsirajofficial‘s solid efforts in the field 🎥 🔽 #TeamIndia | #INDvENG | @IDFCFIRSTBankhttps://t.co/EQApH0673F

— BCCI (@BCCI) January 25, 2024

Wrestling back control

From there on, Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar took over, keeping the Bazball in check, but giving due respect to it. Having bowled to Duckett without a fielder at cover during the 2016 series, that Ashwin started with one to the left-hander, with protection for a reverse-sweep and a paddle-sweep, showed the well-studied plans of India’s spinners. With a dark dry patch on either side, and the pitch getting baked under the bright sun, they found turn and bounce as Jadeja got rid of Ollie Pope with Rohit Sharma completing a low catch at slips. When Crawley was caught at mid-off off Ashwin, England had lost three wickets in 21 balls.

All eyes were now on how Root and Bairstow would respond. For a side that never seemed to take the pedal off the feet even when wickets fell in a heap previously, here they played the moment, but not once did they drift away from their approach. Be it playing shots or defending, they stuck to their plan, which has worked for them so far.

Goes to FIFTY with a six! 🏏

Batted, @BenStokes38 👏

Match Centre: https://t.co/s4XwqqpNlL

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— England Cricket (@englandcricket) January 25, 2024

As Dinesh Karthik has told this daily, Bazball’s ethos is not just about aggressive approach, but to do everything you do with absolute conviction. Similar to how India’s spinners gave due respect, the experienced England reciprocated respect to Ashwin, Jadeja and Axar. Of course, they created opportunities to score boundaries, but at the same time they also defended them with confidence, in a bid to alter their plans. From there it became a battle of patience on either side of lunch before Axar found a way to beat Bairstow.

From there on, Stokes took it upon himself after Root fell a couple of overs later, top-edging a sweep off Jadeja to short fine-leg. He is their perennial man for crisis. He is the sort of player whose approach India have been wary of. Capable of riding the storm or counter-attacking his way out of trouble or shielding the tail and single-handedly playing a game-changing knock, Stokes can do it all with aplomb. When Ben Foakes departed with scoreboard reading 137/6 and a long tail to follow, another opposition in India was on the verge of falling way short of a total that could keep them in the game.

𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁. 𝗪𝗮𝘀. 𝗔. 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝘂𝘁! ⚡️ ⚡️@akshar2026 with his first wicket of the match 👏 👏

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— BCCI (@BCCI) January 25, 2024

But Stokes would leave his stamp on the game. With Rehan Ahmed, debutant Tom Hartely and Mark Wood playing their part, Stokes would hang in. He would even let Ahmed and Hartley swing for the trees as he hung on waiting for the moment to unleash. Perhaps he was waiting for the challenge to get even harder. He then switch-hit Jadeja for his first boundary, off the 53rd ball he faced. From there on Stokes clobbered his way to a vital 70 before being undone by a Bumrah’s peach as England had 246 on board which Ashwin thought was 30-40 runs more than India liked.

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