Geoffrey Boycott, in his column for The Telegraph, expressed admiration for Bazball’s impact on Test cricket but emphasized his preference for winning.
Geoffrey Boycott, a former England cricketer, recently joined the chorus of critics questioning the performance of the Ben Stokes-led team in Test cricket. While acknowledging England’s aggressive style of play and the entertainment it brings, Boycott emphasized his priority: winning.
In his column for The Telegraph, he praised Bazball for revitalizing Test cricket but lamented England’s failure to defeat the top two teams, Australia and India. Boycott pointed to England’s draw in the Ashes series against Australia last year, attributing the outcome to batting weaknesses.
“Bazball has given Test cricket a shot in the arm and England deserves praise for that. At times, I love it. But I love winning more and England has failed to beat the best two teams in the world: Australia and now India,” Boycott wrote.
Boycott also criticized Ben Stokes’ decision to start the bowling with two spinners in the fourth Test between India and England, where England defended a total of 192 runs. He believes this move allowed India to score 40 runs quickly, gaining crucial momentum.
“England only had 192 to defend. I like Stokes’s captaincy but I thought he made a big error by opening the bowling with two spinners, Root and Tom Hartley. In 25 minutes at the end of day three India easily scored 40 priceless runs. What is just as important is that it gave their innings momentum. It was imperative to make runs hard to come by,” he added.
In the end, Rohit, Gill and Jurel’s solid batting performances secured victory for India. With India already securing the Test series, they aim to maintain their winning streak in the upcoming match in Dharamsala on March 7.
Last Updated on February 29, 2024
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