In the onging Ashes 2025 , Ozs have battered the English team lead by Ben Stokes under supervision of Brendon McCullum as a coach.The team lost first three matches and hence the series in just 11 days of play( 1st match in 2 days, 2nd match in 4 days and 3rd match in 5 days)

B-Mac and Stokes duo coined the term of BAZBALL and started the firebrand way of playing test cricket in 2022 . It was centred on the core principle of playing fearless cricket like scoring at faster run rates and declaring aggressively to get result of a test match instead of going for a draw.Since that time record of English team has improved greatly. Matches (Total:44, Won: 25 ,Lost 17 ,Drawn 2).

But the ongoing year has been quite disastrous for English team where losses surpass the wins 5-3 with 1 draw. As mentioned above the ongoing Ashes have been the greatest humiliation of all given the hype and traditional rivalry attached to this sporting event. In this context there has been quite a hue and cry about the failure of BAZBALL. Some critics even citing the BAZBALL been dead.

But in all this clamour let us just take one step back and try to comprehend if the BAZBALL has actually gone dead???

1ST TEST MATCH

Let’s analyze the dismissal shots of English batters in both innings:

Zack Crawley

1st innings: Playing Off-Drive (Aggressive). Caught at 1st slip

2nd innings:Caught and Bowled. (Defensive)

Ben Duckett

1st innings: Playing On drive (Aggressive). LBW.

2nd innings: Playing Defense. Caught in Slips (Defensive).

Ollie Pope

1st innings: Playing On drive Closed Off (Agressive). LBW

2nd innings: Playing Off drive. (Agressive). Caught Behind

Joe Root

1st innings: Playing Defense.( Defensive). Caught at 3rd slip.

2nd innings: Playing Off drive Away from body. ( Agressive). Inside Edge Bowled

Harry Brook

1st innings: Caught behind while fending a short ball.( Undecided).

2nd innings: Playing Off drive Away from body.( Undecided) Caught in slip.

Ben Stokes

1st innings: Playing Straight Drive.(Undecided). Bowled Through Gap between Bat and Pad.

2nd innings: Playing Defensive( Defensive). Caught in slips.

Jamie Smith

1st innings: Caught in deep while pulling.(Agressive).

2nd innings: Playing Pull shot. ( Agressive). Caught behind on leg side delivery.

Gus Atkinson

1st innings: Caught in 2nd Slip (Defensive).

2nd innings: Caught at Boundary (Agressive). Playing Ramp Shot.

Braydon Carse

1st innings: Caught while playing Hook.(Agressive). (c. Labuschagne b. Dogett)

2nd innings: Caught behind playing Ramp shot (Agressive).

Jofra Archer

1st innings: NOT OUT

2nd innings: Playing pull shot. (Agressive)

Mark Wood

1st innings: Caught Behind playing a short ball.(Agressive)

2nd innings: NOT OUT.

TAKEAWAY

In both innings for the Top 7 batters 14 innings dismissals were following:

Agressive: 7

Defensive: 4

Undecided/In between: 3

2ND Test Match

Zack Crawley

1st innings: Caught behind playing pull shot ( Agressive). Under edged.

2nd innings: Caught and Bowled.( Defensive). Played meekly

Ben Duckett

1st innings: Caught at Slip.( Defensive)

2nd innings: Bowled. ( Defensive).

Ollie Pope

1st innings: Chopped on (Agressive). Inside Edge playing Cut shot.

2nd innings: Caught & Bowled. ( Somewhat Agressive). Decieved by Slow Pace

Joe Root

1st innings: NOT OUT

2nd innings: Playing meekly away from body.( Defensive) Caught behind.

Harry Brook

1st innings: Playing Full blooded Square drive Away from body ( Agressive).

2nd innings: Playing Defense .( Defensive) Caught behind.

Ben Stokes

1st innings: Runout. (Defensive). Stealing a quick run after playing Defense inside the circle.

2nd innings: Playing defensively on Back foot ( Defensive). Surprised by bounce caught behind.

Jamie Smith

1st innings: Playing Defense. ( Defensive) . Bowled

2nd innings: Playing forward meekly. (Defensive). Caught behind.

Will Jacks

1st innings: Playing Square Drive away from body. ( Undecided). Caught in Slips

2nd innings: Playing defensively Outside off( Defensive). Well caught at slip.

Gus Atkinson

1st innings: Top edge playing Pull shot. ( Undecided) Caught behind running back

2nd innings: Playing pull shot weakly. ( Somewhat Agressive). Cauught at Short midwicket.

Braydon Carse

1st innings: Playing defensively Away from body. ( Defensive). Caught behind

2nd innings: Guiding ball through slips weak shot. ( Defensive) Caught at Slip.

Jofra Archer

1st innings:Playing pull shot (Agressive) . Caught in deep.

2nd innings: NOTOUT.

Takeaway

In both innings for Top 7 batsmen ( Excluding Jacks) 13 innings Dismissal shots were:

Agressive: 4

Defensive: 9

Will Jacks: Defensive 1 , Undecidded 1.

3rd Test

Zack Crawley

1st innings: Playing Defense (Defensive). Caught Behind

2nd innings: Playing Off drive( Agressive) Streched out beaten through gate STUMPED.

Ben Duckett

1st innings: Playing forward defense. ( Defensive). Bowled

2nd innings: Playing Checked Off drive ( Somewhat Agressive). Caught in slips

Ollie Pope

1st innings: Playing flick off the front foot. ( Defensive). Low catch to short mid wicket.

2nd innings: Playing defense( Defensive). Caught in slip Low catch.

Joe Root

1st innings: Plying defense (Defensive). Caught behind

2nd innings: Plying defense (Defensive). Caught behind

Harry Brook

1st innings: Playing defense (Defensive). Caught behind.

2nd innings: Playing Reverse sweep. (Agressive). Bowled

Ben Stokes

1st innings: Playing Straight drive. ( Agressive). Bowled through the gate.

2nd innings:Plying defense (Defensive). Bowled.

Jamie Smith

1st innings: Playing pull shot ( Agressive). Under edge Caught behind.

2nd innings: Playing lofted On drive.(Agressive) Caught at Mid wicket..

Will Jacks

1st innings: Playing Defense (Defensive). Caught behind.

2nd innings: Playing away from body (Agressive)

Braydon Carse

1st innings: Playing defense. ( Defensive) Bowled.

2nd innings: NOTOUT

Jofra Archer

1st innings: Playing Off drive( Agressive). Caught in slip.

2nd innings: Playing Cut shot . (Agressive) Caught in deep

Josh Tongue

1st innings: NOT OUT

2nd innings: Playing defensively (Defensive) Caught behind

Takeway

In both innings For Top 7 batsmen in 14 innings dismissal shots were:

Agressive: 6

Defensive: 8

Will Jacks : 1 Agressive, 1 defensive.

Conclusion:

Defensive approach by Batters

In the 41 innings across 3 test matches the Top 7 batsmen were out while playing defensive shots or remained undecided 24 times. They were dismissed playing aggressively only 17 times. IF we include the numbers of Will Jacks figures become 18 agressive 27 defensive. That clearly indicates that playing with defensive mindset has been costing England the MATCHES.

Defensive/ Rigid Captaincy for Batting Order

Strikingly England played the same Top 7 in all the 3 test matches not even changing the batting order which is highly unlikely for BAZBALL!!!. Stokes was even reluctant to send Archer or other Hard hitting Tailenders to play the spoiler role for Oz bowlers to disrupt their momentum.

On the other hand Oz changed their batting order according to the situation in just the 2nd innings of 1st test match and sent Travis Head up the order whose one of the many flambouyant thriller innings effectively threw the victory away from the hands of English Bowlers.

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