Sport Analysis: Australia‘s Response to England and Bazball at Edgbaston Will Decide the Ashes
It’s rare to be warned of a revolution before it arrives. Change of any great significance will normally come suddenly, without warning, or seep its way into being over time without being noticed. Test cricket‘s revolution, however, hasn’t abided by those rules. It’s coming in loud and proud, televised for the world to see, waving flags and blowing horns to signal its arrival. It’s called Bazball, and after a 12-month soft launch, its grand unveiling was scheduled for day one of the 2023 Ashes at Edgbaston.
England‘s Fearless New Outlook
So much had been written about England‘s fearless new outlook on life that anything other than total commitment to the bit on opening day would have felt an anticlimax. But on a pitch custom-made for spirited batting, the home side threw everything at the occasion. Zac Crawley’s authoritative wave of the bat extinguished any lingering doubts about England‘s intentions. Where other Ashes have famously opened with various forms of English embarrassment, this one began with the heralding of the promised new age — an English opener lashing the Australian captain for four with an exclamation mark of a cover drive.
Australia‘s Jarringly Immediate Retreat
The most intriguing and potentially consequential storyline of day one, however, was Australia‘s jarringly immediate retreat. The field was spread from the first over of the match, with easy singles and a steady flow of runs offered up in exchange for an avalanche of boundaries. This new-look England had turned Australia into the old-look England. The white flag had gone up before the fight had really begun.
In truth, the Australian captain, Pat Cummins, had forecast a tactical adjustment in the days leading up to the Test. If every action has an equal and opposite reaction, then it only stands to reason that Bazball would provoke some uncharacteristic pragmatism among the Aussies. And this adjustment worked to an extent on a pitch that offered little assistance to the bowlers. The run rate lived somewhere between 4.5 and five runs an over all day, which sounds a lot but is pretty close to par for England. Wickets fell at a consistent rate, keeping Australia in the game despite England‘s aggressive batting.
England‘s Relentless Offence
Joe Root’s team, known for their relentless offence, never allowed the Test to settle into a meandering rhythm. The whole point of England‘s relentless offence is to make sure a Test never settles into a meandering rhythm, the kind that allows momentum to take hold. And in case you needed more convincing, Ben Stokes only went and declared with half an hour to go and the score at 8-393. For so many of us who thrive on the predictable metronomic beat of a Test match, this England team is a heart attack waiting to happen.
The Ultimate Winner Will Be Whoever Most Capitalizes on Their Brief Periods of Ascendancy
In this Ashes series, expect momentum to be a fleeting phenomenon. Sessions and days and Tests will violently fluctuate to the point of inducing motion sickness, but the ultimate winner will be whoever most capitalizes on their brief periods of ascendancy. The declaration on day one has warped the perception of the first day. What should probably have been considered a net positive for England — nearly 400 on the board, a Joe Root century in the bag — feels a little watered down by the fact that Australia now has a chance to bat and bat for a long time on a pitch unlikely to offer much assistance to the bowlers.
Australia‘s Response on Day Two
Australia will be encouraged going into day two. This is not a pitch prepared for a fair fight between bat and ball, so they now have their chance to bat and bat for a long time. In stark contrast to Australia, England will have attacking and unorthodox fields set for just about the entirety of this innings. The English will happily cough up some runs in the hope of luring Australia into playing them at their own game. If day one was anything to go by, they’ll do the opposite. There is a determination among the Australian camp not to get swept up in the Bazball of it all, even as they reconstruct their own cricketing philosophies to counter it. So much of this series will be decided along those fine lines — England has laid down its marker, but how much of itself will Australia sacrifice to bend to the will of its opponent?
Sources:
<< photo by Magali Guimarães >>
The image is for illustrative purposes only and does not depict the actual situation.
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