Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian skipper, has slammed England management for the lack of preparation with the red ball and has questioned their decision to skip first-class cricket before the demanding and prestigious Ashes tour in Australia.
England have received immense criticism for their weak showing in the ongoing Ashes series. The criticism continued despite England’s win in the Boxing Day Test match at the MCG. However, it came in the fourth Test of the series, and with three humiliating losses, the fate of the Ashes was sealed in favour of the Australians.
However, England managed to break their 19-match losing streak on Australian soil, and the Ben Stokes-led side finally got some nerve back after the win at MCG. However, they set an unwanted record of losing an Ashes series within 11 days.
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Sunil Gavaskar slams England players for lack of first-class practice
Amid their disastrous run in the Ashes, England captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum have been constantly backing the team and have kept faith in their Bazball strategy. However, the much-hyped approach can be increasingly one-dimensional when put under pressure by disciplined and accurate gameplay.
Australia have not only defeated the England team but has also crushed the confidence of the English batters. The likes of Ben Duckett, Harry Brook, and even Joe Root have struggled for every run in the Australian island.
To this, Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the lack of patience within the players due to the lack of sufficient first-class exposure ahead of the crucial series. Hence, the players cannot adjust adequately to the rhythm of Test match batting.
“He [The modern batter] thinks counterattack is the answer, when a little bit of patience, with some deep breaths taken to slow down the adrenaline, might help in reducing the bat speed and the big swing, so even if he miscues or edges, the ball may not carry to the fielder.
“But then, if he hardly plays any First-Class cricket, how will he mentally get used to adjusting to the required rhythm of a Test match?” Sunil Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
“The more you play, the better you will get,” feels Sunil Gavaskar
England greats like Ian Botham and Michael Vaughan all looked unconvinced by the fact that England started off their Ashes campaign without a single warm-up game in the Australian islands. As a result of this, the hyped Bazball strategy collapsed during the first three Tests.
Sunil Gavaskar clearly feels that these struggles are only due to a lack of enough Test exposure for the players. With the terrible record they hold in the island nation, England should have been more cautious in batting practices. The Indian great also pointed out how, after playing three matches, England could manage a win as they improved with on-field exposure.
“England’s win, even though it came in the fourth Test with the series already lost, does prove once again that the more you play, the better you will get, especially in unfamiliar overseas conditions… The point, therefore, is that England should have played a few more First-Class games before the first Test? The ‘ares’ do not agree with the ‘has-beens’ here,” Sunil Gavaskar added.
England look to win the SCG Test to hold onto the Bazball legacy
England finally won their third match of this WTC cycle and made it count in Australia. Following their win at the MCG, the Englishmen would also be eyeing another win at the Sydney Cricket Ground, considering that this win might help them keep some hopes alive in the WTC.
Also, with several more players released by the Australians, England might seek this as an opportunity to save some honour in Australia. Coming from behind and finishing the Ashes 3-2, this would be a major boost for Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum to defend the ‘bazball’ strategy.
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