Australia deflates England’s ‘Bazball’ strategy in Adelaide Test
Pat Cummins has declared that Australia successfully deflated England’s much-vaunted ‘Bazball’ strategy after watching the tourists “shut up shop” during the Adelaide Test, reports BritPanorama.
The Australian skipper returned from injury to lead his side to a commanding 3-0 lead in the Ashes series, clinching the urn with two matches still to play. Cummins had missed the victories in Perth and Brisbane due to back problems.
England’s approach of reckless strokeplay proved costly in the opening two encounters. Following this, Ben Stokes urged his teammates to demonstrate greater resilience and battling qualities at the crease.
This tactical shift was evident in Stokes’ own performance, as he compiled the slowest fifty of his career, requiring 159 deliveries to reach the milestone after his side lost early wickets. On day two, England’s run rate crawled along at just 3.13 runs per over, with an overall average of 3.35 throughout the match. For a side built on relentless attacking cricket, this marked a notable shift in strategy.
Cummins observed the transformation, noting that England had abandoned their trademark aggression. “Day two, I thought was surprising. It was 40-odd degrees, it was hot, it was a very flat wicket and they shut up shop for half the day, which I was pretty happy with,” he said.
Having returned to the team, Cummins admitted he may now sit out the last two Tests as the main objective has already been achieved. Spinner Nathan Lyon is also set to miss the Boxing Day and New Year Tests due to a hamstring injury sustained on day five in Adelaide. These absences highlight the ongoing challenges faced by a side that has continued to win despite key player withdrawals, including Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, and Steve Smith.
As for the team’s future, Cummins remarked, “I doubt I’ll play Melbourne and we’ll have a chat about Sydney.” He expressed a commitment to reassessing the squad’s strategy as they move forward. The focus will likely shift to identifying back-up spinners, including Toddy Murphy, Matt Kuhnemann, and Corey Rocchiccioli, all vying for a starting role in the absence of key players.
Ultimately, this Test serves as a reflection of how tactics can pivot under pressure and how an aggressive game plan can sometimes yield to survival instinct. It remains to be seen whether England will adapt their approach in the forthcoming matches, but they will need to find an answer if they hope to revive their fortunes in the series.
