Brendon McCullum promised a “refined” version of Bazball and that is exactly what England delivered to win their first Test series for 19 months. McCullum made his pledge sitting in the team hotel in Dharamsala 24 hours after England lost the fifth Test against India, . He talked of some “pretty deep thinking” about how to evolve England into a “better version” of themselves and come back from a drawn Ashes and 4-1 loss in India as a “bigger, stronger and more refined” team.
Well, they have done just that. Centuries from Joe Root, Harry Brook and Ollie Pope exemplified the renewed maturity of Bazball batting while Shoaib Bashir’s first five-wicket haul in his first proper bowl in a home Test on a ground not renowned for spin wrapped up a comfortable, fully deserved win at Trent Bridge and England’s first series victory since beating Pakistan in December 2022. Nobody encapsulates the new look better than Root.
for recklessness in India, his reverse scoop dismissal in the pivotal third Test turning the master accumulator into a chancer and held up as the distasteful side of Bazball. Bazball has never been about feckless risk-taking, but just picking your moments. And Root did it better here.
Instead of when 220 behind and facing the best bowler in the world in Jasprit Bumrah, Root played his reverse-scoop against Shamar Joseph with England 350 ahead. Joe Root's infamous reverse scoop is back and it brings him four runs! 😎 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCrick.