The Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy ended with a very close match, but the English media was not happy. England was leading the series 2-1 after winning at Leeds and Lord’s. But in the last Test, things changed. England had a big chance to win, but they lost it.
Bazball momentum lost in Oval thriller
England had the target of 374 to chase at The Oval, and they were looking good at 301/3. Centuries from Harry Brook and Joe Root had fans believing the match was as good as won. But what followed shocked everyone. A sudden collapse left England all out for 367.
India grabbed a 2-2 series draw and celebrated their narrowest Test win by runs in history. The Bazball approach that had worked in the past didn’t click on the final day. Former captain Michael Vaughan said England couldn’t handle the pressure at the end.
“…the truth is England panicked,” Vaughan wrote. “The closer they got, within 70, they tried to be more high-risk. The approach was wrong on the final morning. It was too risky.”
Media questions Bazball after series draw
Vaughan didn’t use the word “chokers” for the team, but made it clear how big a blow this was. He said it was the kind of loss that would seriously hurt the players.
“If India lost in that fashion, we would have said they yipped up. If South Africa lost like that, we would say they choked. It was that bad a miss. The defeat will really hurt England. When you know you should win a game, it is so painful,” he wrote.
BBC’s Stephan Shemilt also felt England let go of a golden chance. Coming that close to chasing down 374 was impressive, but falling short was a blow to Bazball’s reputation.
“It was highly creditable for England to get so close to chasing down 374, what would have been their second highest of all time. It was also a missed opportunity for a statement series win. England let biggest win of Bazball era slip after all-time epic,” he wrote.
Bazball era’s test against top teams
Lawrence Booth, writing in The Mail, pointed out that until England beat top teams like Australia or India in a full series, Bazball will not be taken seriously outside England.
“Thanks to the Manchester rain in 2023, and India’s fightback here, their two home series against Australia and India under Brendon McCullum have finished all square. Their record under Stokes and McCullum remains strong, but Bazball’s critics — mainly in Australia and India, though plenty in England – will not take them seriously until they beat one of the other members of the so-called Big Three,” Booth wrote.
The 2-2 result will sting for England, who had the match and the series almost in hand. For now, questions remain if Bazball can deliver when it matters most.
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