Indian captain Rohit Sharma has expressed his bemusement regarding the term "bazball," despite acknowledging England's bold approach and aggressive style of play leading up to the fifth and final Test match at HPCA, scheduled to commence on Thursday.
Under the leadership of head coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes, England's unconventional tactics in Test cricket, coined as "bazball," have garnered attention worldwide.
However, following India's victory over England by five wickets in Ranchi, securing an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the five-Test series, it marked England's first Test series defeat since McCullum assumed his role.
"I simply don't understand what bazball means. I haven't witnessed any reckless swinging from anyone. England has indeed showcased improved cricket compared to their previous performances here. Nonetheless, the term bazball continues to elude me," remarked Rohit Sharma during a press conference.
Despite his confusion, Rohit Sharma didn't miss an opportunity to inject some humor into the conversation. When England opener Ben Duckett lauded Yashasvi Jaiswal for his attacking style of cricket, Rohit playfully reminded him of the dynamic Rishabh Pant, known for his audacious strokeplay.
"When you observe players from the opposing team adopting such tactics, it almost feels like we deserve some credit for influencing their deviation from traditional Test cricket," Duckett had remarked during the third Test.
Rohit seized the moment to remind Duckett about India's wicketkeeper-batsman Pant, who is currently sidelined due to injuries sustained in a car accident in December 2022.
"We had a player named Rishabh Pant in our squad; perhaps Ben Duckett hasn't had the pleasure of witnessing his gameplay," quipped Rohit.
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