England’s “Bazball” batting strategy received flak after AB De Villiers felt the approach didn’t work against India.
The former South African cricketer noted that “Bazball” batting didn’t save England in their first Test match in Hyderabad. De Villiers said momentum shifts matter the most in a cricket match regardless of any ball strategies.
The 39-year-old current commentator instead lauded India for their batting efficiency. The hosts bundled out England, 199/1 in 23 overs.
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“India batting at 8/9 rpo (runs per over) at the start of their innings here,” De Villiers said on X (formerly Twitter).
“You don’t have to call it brave bold or bazz ball, it’s just literally playing the situation,” he added.
De Villiers said if any team didn’t “respect the different moments and momentum shifts in the game, it will end up biting you.”
The “Bazball” Test strategy was named after the nickname of England coach and former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum.
Other than skipper Ben Stokes, none of England’s batters crossed the 50-run mark against India.
Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja took three wickets each to help India beat England for just 246.
