[ad_1]
Former South Africa captain AB de Villiers discussed England’s Bazball approach after India dominated proceedings on Day 1 of the first Test at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The hosts were 119-1 in Hyderabad and trailed England by 127 runs, with captain Rohit Sharma (24) the only wicket.
Jaiswal, with 76 off 70 balls, and Shubman Gill, with 14, were batting late in the game.
Left-handed Jaiswal reached his fifty off 47 balls with a boundary off debutant Tom Hartley, whose forceful introduction to Test cricket saw him lose 63 runs in nine overs.
Rohit returned dejected after misplaying a delivery from left-arm bowler Jack Leach, and Stokes completed the catch at deep.
But the way Jaiswal attacked the English bowlers, scoring at a strike rate of 108.57 without resorting to any unconventional methods, raised questions about England’s approach.
De Villiers praised India for maintaining such a high scoring rate without making much noise and said it is about playing according to the situation and waiting for the momentum to return in their favour.
“India bats at 8/9 rpo at the start of their innings here. There is no need to call it brave, bold or bazz ball, it is literally just playing the situation. Identify moments in a Test match when you can get ahead. The game is what it’s all about.When the impulse changes, you adapt and absorb for a period and wait for that moment again.
“And ultimately, if you don’t respect the different moments and momentum changes in the game, it will end up biting you, no matter what type of ball you are playing,” De Villiers wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Stokes top-scored with 70 after the visitors opted to bat first, sticking to their ultra-attacking ‘Bazball’ strategy to counter India’s renowned spin prowess on the home turf.
“Stokesy’s hit to get us to where we were was fantastic,” opener Ben Duckett told reporters.
He added that the visitors had finished their innings “above par” on a difficult pitch that was likely to become more unruly.
“When day three comes, day four, it could be a game-winning shot if the pitch continues to get harder to hit,” he said.
England had lost regular wickets until Stokes took charge and raised the total, smashing six fours and three sixes.
The captain set up key lower-order positions with Hartley (23) and Mark Wood (11) before he was finally bowled by pacer Jasprit Bumrah after tea for the last wicket.
Axar Patel says it’s not that difficult to bat on the pitch
India spinner Axar Patel said his team was happy to keep the tourists to their total, adding that the pitch had not yet tilted in favor of the bowlers.
“It’s a little challenging for the batsman, but if you play well, you can score runs,” he said.
“For the bowlers it is a challenge,” he added. “If you don’t get the line and the length, the races will be easy.”
England had started the day strongly, with Duckett (35) and Zak Crawley (20) in an opening stand of 55, with regular boundaries off Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
England reached 41-0 in eight overs before spin was introduced, with Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin eventually taking three each.
Duckett fell to Ashwin, who broke the tourists’ cheerful opening position.
Crawley gifted Ashwin a second wicket when the tall opener hit the ball at mid-wicket and Siraj took a low catch.
Jonny Bairstow scored 37 in a partnership of 61 with Joe Root, who made 29.
Axar, a left-arm bowler, bowled Bairstow with a delivery that sailed away from the batsman shortly after lunch, prompting applause from the home crowd.
Jadeja trapped Root at short fine leg after the veteran batsman botched a sweep and trudged back to the pavilion.
The beginning of India’s innings witnessed a security breach when a fan stormed onto the field to touch Rohit’s feet before being dragged away by security.