One thing that has become clear when watching the England cricket team play in recent months – is that ‘Bazball’ is here to stay. The term has been coined since former Black Caps international Brendon McCullum took over the coaching role earlier this year – and it alludes to their willingness to play an attacking and risk-averse brand of cricket.
Additionally, with Ben Stokes replacing long-time servant Joe Root as captain – it has ensured that a new era of English cricket has been sworn in. It has produced exceptional results, with England winning their four test matches over the summer – three of which came against a forever-improving New Zealand side, and another against the always dangerous India.
Stokes and company followed up their success with the red ball and defied the sports betting odds to reign supreme in the Twenty20 (T20) World Cup in Australia last month. With three formats and regular travel on today’s cricketing schedule, being a professional in the modern era is a taxing ordeal – which is why you could forgive England if they were to come out sluggish against Pakistan in their opening test in Punjab earlier this month.
However, they were anything but – defeating Pakistan in an absolute thriller to take a 1-0 lead in their three-game series in the subcontinent. After winning the toss and electing to bat on what was an unbelievably flat Rawalpindi wicket, England couldn’t have started their first innings any better, with their top three batsman Zac Crawley, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope all registering centuries. Middle-order batsman Harry Brook picked up where his top-order left off, scoring 153 runs off just 116 balls to help set England’s highest ever score in Asia as they went on to amass a mammoth total of 657.
To the home team’s credit, they hit back immediately in their first innings at the crease – with Saqlain Mushtaq’s men too setting an eye-popping total of 579 courtesy of tons to Abdullah Shafique, Imam-ul-Haq and captain Babar Azam. While fans thought the game was almost certainly heading for a draw – England had other ideas.
After Crawley, Root and Brook all scored rapid-fire fifties at a combined average strike rate of 114.6, Stokes made the bold decision to declare in their second innings at tea at 264/7. As a result, Pakistan needed 343 runs to win off roughly 130 overs to win the game. Many felt that opened up the real risk of England losing – as they simply could have stayed at the crease for another session or two and settled for the draw.
However, the optimism and confidence Stokes and McCullum play with deserves praise – and it paid dividends yet again as they bowled Pakistan out for 268 and secured arguably their greatest test win overseas. Ollie Robinson and James Anderson starred with the ball, taking four wickets apiece.
For those who follow the sports betting tips, England are the favourites at 4/9 to win the series, while Pakistan are underdogs at 9/2.
