Former England captain Nasser Hussain has highlighted the potential hurdles that Ben Stokes and his team may face with their ‘Bazball’ strategy in the upcoming five-match Test series in India.
While England holds the distinction of being the last team to secure a bilateral series victory in India, their recent record in the country is less impressive, with only one win in their last nine matches. The nature of the pitches in India has sparked considerable debate, and it is anticipated that the surfaces in the upcoming series will be spinner-friendly.
In the 2021 four-match series, England surprisingly took a 1-0 lead, but India staged a comeback on turning tracks in Chennai and Ahmedabad, ultimately winning the series 3-1.
Nasser Hussain expressed his thoughts on the impending clash between India and the much-discussed ‘Bazball’ on Sky Sports Cricket, stating, “India are waiting. There has been a lot of talk about Indian cricket, and there has been a lot of talk about Bazball, and the two of them are just about to meet. A lot of Indian fans are waiting to see Bazball and put it to bed.”
He further assessed the pitch conditions, noting, “If the Indian management asked for good pitches that spin, then I think their spinners and batters will out-spin and out-bat ours. If they ask for pitches that are a bit of a lottery, and it turns huge, then I think it brings England’s spinners into it as well,” Hussain added.
In a departure from their previous approach, England has opted for a spin-heavy squad for the upcoming series. The traveling contingent includes four frontline spinners, with two of them, Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir, being uncapped.
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