In my day, mishits rarely got out of the infield. Therefore, moving the feet was paramount to getting into the best possible position, powering the shot from the ground up to maximise centre hits. Batting was a pursuit that was built from the feet up. Now, a player can set a solid, almost static base and rely on upper-body strength and a powerful swing of the arms. Because modern bats reward mishits, the bat is swung harder. This approach is fine on the flat, docile pitches prepared for white-ball cricket. However, it becomes speculation on a challenging wicket.
Somewhere on the journey between Perth and Brisbane, the England batters required an honest conversation. They needed to recognise that while the intent is to score, the method requires more discipline and calculated aggression.
Consistent success in Test cricket is built on doing the basics exceedingly well. Occasionally, an innings of devastating impact – such as Travis Head’s in Perth or Ben Stokes’s miracle at Headingley in 2019 – can do the trick. But day-in, day-out success is not delivered by flashes of brilliance; it is delivered by the discipline of performing the foundational tasks repeatedly.
The eight-wicket result in Perth flattered Australia. A win in Brisbane is no certainty. The Australian batters looked vulnerable against good pace bowling in the first innings and they would have been delirious with Head doing the heavy lifting in the second innings.
England must learn the lessons from Perth quickly and not repeat them. So must Australia. Head’s amazing innings was the only real difference. They can’t rely on that happening again.
The Gabba will present a different challenge. It might not offer the same excessive bounce, but it will be quick, and there will be sideways movement from the seam. Added to that, Australia has a supreme record in day/night encounters and Mitchell Starc is the best pink ball bowler in the world.
Travis Heads’ heroics in Perth was the difference in the first Ashes Test.Credit: Cricket Australia via Getty Images
The pink ball goes softer more quickly than the traditional red ball. This places a premium on patience. England must find a way to get through the new ball to allow their vaunted middle order the best chance to succeed against the older ball.
For Bazball to flourish, the England players must demonstrate a deep respect for the Australian bowlers, the conditions, and the match situation. Every batter would love to be able to attack every ball. But success lies in being judicious – knowing precisely which balls to attack and which ones to defend or leave.
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A modicum of discretion could be the difference between losing another Test or getting the Ashes campaign back on the rails.
Even when the situation demands attack, a batter must keep the odds in their favour. Two crucial elements a batter must learn are the bowler’s rhythm and angle. You must get into that rhythm as quickly as possible, understand the angles, and identify which are the likely boundary shots. Once this is established, you should play each ball on its merit. Taking unrealistic risks is gambling, and in cricket, as in the casino, the house generally wins.
In Australian conditions, the hardest thing to do is drive the ball on the rise. The bowlers need to bowl the majority of deliveries on a full length to force the batsman to run the odds.
The bouncer is an effective tactic to intimidate and keep the batter back in the crease, but the back-of-a-length strategy allows the batter room to score square of the wicket, as Head did in Perth.
It would be an attacking move to continue with Travis Head at the top of the order. Inglis and Webster are now in contention for a middle order spot. Lyon lends the attack a crucial balance – if the ball seams, it usually spins.
According to the Oxford Dictionary, Bazball is recognised as more than just a style of play; it is a cultural and psychological shift that injected aggression and a winning attitude into English Test cricket.
The cultural and psychological shift is complete. The aggression and win-or-bust attitude are present. Now, the England team must refine the ‘style of play’, ensuring their winning intention is matched by faultless execution, proving Bazball is not just an attitude, but a sustainable path to success in a series that is wide open.