Former South African captain AB de Villiers is optimistic about England’s strategy in the five-match series against India. AB de Villiers stated that Bazball could work in the subcontinent and highlighted the importance of an offensive approach in difficult conditions.
The England team adopted an aggressive style of cricket, known as Bazball, under the leadership of Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum. Bazball proved to be a success for the team, achieving 13 wins in 18 Tests and a draw in the 2023 Ashes series.
The Ben Stokes-led team aims to continue its focus in pursuit of its first Test series victory in India since the 2012 series, where Alastair Cook recorded a 2-1 victory. Since then, the visiting team suffered a 0-4 defeat in 2016 and a 1-3 defeat in 2021 on Indian soil.
I don’t need to call him Bazball – AB de Villiers
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), AB de Villiers expressed his confidence in the effectiveness of Bazball for England in India, highlighting the importance of an aggressive approach. De Villiers emphasized that India has adopted a similar attacking style for many years.
“So I think Bazball will work well for England in India. India has been playing that way for many, many years without even calling it anything. I don’t need to call him Bazball. This is how India plays. The style of attack, the nature of attack, getting the catches away from the bat. This is how you win the battle in difficult conditions,” said De Villiers.
KS Bharat always adds value to the team – AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers praised KS Bharat for his hard work and courage in the team environment. The former South African batsman highlighted the formidable challenge posed by the spinners and highlighted the quality of England’s seamers in the upcoming series.
“Then there is the Test team for India, captained by Rohit Sharma, a very experienced campaigner. KS Bharat, who I played with at RCB. It’s nice to see his name. He is a very hardworking man. He’s a good guy to have in the team environment. He always adds value. So if you are out there and you are a cricketer, be the guy in the team who adds value to the environment and doesn’t take away value from the environment. So KS Bharat is definitely one of those guys.”
“Ashwin, Jaddu and Axar Patel. Now there are those three names. Kuldeep Yadav: Four names who will keep England very, very, very busy during this series. And then also Mohammed Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah and Avesh Khan. Really good closers,” he added.
The first Test match is scheduled to be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday, January 25. The visitors started well in the opening session as the openers added 55 runs for the first wicket. However, the hosts recovered to pick up three wickets.
Also Read: “I won’t tell you guys…” – AB de Villiers on the reason behind Virat Kohli’s sudden withdrawal from England Tests
