The brutal assault on the New Zealand bowlers on the last day of the Trent Bridge test has left the ones watching bewildered. This is the England team that we are talking about. The same England team that just about a year ago, refused to chase a similar target against the same opponents. They have already changed the way white ball cricket must be played. Astoundingly, they have become the benchmark in those formats. Now, with the blazing batting, has England redefined how Test cricket must be played?
Michael Vaughan, the former England captain and a successful one at that, believes so.
“This will send a message around the cricketing world that this England Test side is to be feared and they will go toe-to-toe with Australia next summer,” Vaughan wrote in his latest Telegraph column.
“The timid England, scared of failure, has disappeared just two Test matches into the new regime. This team is very much in its infancy but after only eight days of Test cricket we know the Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes combination have ripped off the shackles. It is the same team, more or less, but they have been freed up and it has totally changed their psychology.”
Ofcourse, he just like every English supporter is making the same mistake again and again. Treating the Ashes as the be all and end of all things forgetting about the Indian series, the T20 World Cup and other games that are lined up. This attitude will probably never change. With a foreign coach, England must resist from being sucked up in the same whirlpool but it may not be possible.
Coming onto the game
Granted the pitch was a belter and the ground was not that big either. The square boundaries were unbelievably short. On a side note, it is time ICC studies the ground dimensions all over the world because grounds like this can drive the bowlers mad. Certainly, not every ground can be increased but on such grounds, the bowlers must be given some kind of advantage. Slower outfield, a bit more pace or spin on the pitch etc.
Be that as it may, remember, New Zealand too scored in excess of 500. So, batting wasn’t difficult on that pitch. Even on the last day, it remained a belter with no help whatsoever for the bowlers. Fast bowlers and spinners were all driven to desperation to pick up wickets. It fell on the batsmen to make a mistake for the bowlers to be gifted with wickets.
Having said that, the batting on the last 2 sessions was incredible. Before we talk about Bairstow and Stokes, let us remember that Root and Pope in the first innings scored quickly. It was their innings that setup the game nicely for Bairstow’s belligerence on the last day. Root scored his runs at a strike rate of 83 which is quick by his standards. His normal strike rate is between 50 & 60. This was a whole lot more. Pope is quite new to international cricket and so we do not yet know how quickly can he score.
Incredible runrate
Over the last couple of tests, England’s runrate is around the 4 per over mark. That was an exceptional scoring rate. It certainly looks like the England Cricket Board, the team management and the team itself wants to change things and change them quickly. If only England had won the game with just a few overs to spare, they would have been applauded but no one would have thought that there was something that was different. Let us also remember that England have rather a lengthy tail, unlike the previous years when they stacked the team with bowlers who has the ability to bat and bat well. Yet, that did not stop them in going after runs.
The post tea session was what defined the changed attitude of the English players. 160 of 38 overs were required. New Zealand started the session with a couple of their best bowlers. Henry and Boult. England would have wanted to see off these bowlers with no damage done and score off the other bowlers. This would have been the strategy for a majority of the teams in an overwhelming majority of the games. There is nothing wrong with that. Afterall, losing a test is much higher than losing a few ODI or T20 games. Instead of batting safely against New Zealand’s best bowlers, Bairstow launched into them. Over the next 5 overs, more than 60 runs were scored. It literally sealed the game for England.
It wasn’t Benny
If it had been Ben Stokes who had scored at a great pace, it would have been par but it was Johnny Bairstow who played a blinding knock. It would not be wrong to say that Bairstow was fighting for his spot and it would have been perfectly understandable if he had chosen to bat a bit conservatively. Looking at him bat, it seemed he did not care about his spot. It showcases the change in the attitude within the dressing room.
The conducive environment that McCullum has created
It is too early, just a couple of tests but it looks like McCullum has created a conducive environment within the squad. Just before the second test, McCullum was keen to spend one-to-one time with Ollie Pope and Bairstow. He must have increased their confidence and ended in a spectacular manner for England. McCullum has also asked the bowlers to pursue wickets instead of bowling dry. If in the process, they go for runs, so be it.
“I don’t think he’s spoken particularly deeply. His whole mantra is about enjoyment and fun. The energy is: how good’s Test cricket? How good’s this ground? He seems like he doesn’t look too far ahead, enjoy the day, what can we get out today?” said Broad
Conclusion to has England redefined how Test cricket must be played?
England have certainly made a case for changing the way the game is played. Whether they will be able to sustain this against better teams and in challenging conditions remains to be seen. If they indeed succeed like in limited overs cricket, other teams better watch out for England does not care even if they lose in pursuit of a win.
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