ENG vs IND 2025: 'Where is the Bazball, sir?' - Aakash Chopra takes dig at England's approach at Lord's

Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra observed that England did not adhere to their trademark Bazball approach on Day 1 of the third Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. He pointed out that the hosts scored at a modest run rate of just over three runs per over.

England ended the first day at Lord’s with a total of 251/4 in their first innings. Despite losing only four wickets, the batting was noticeably cautious throughout the day. Chopra questioned the absence of England's typically aggressive style, wondering where the Bazball mindset had disappeared.

"Where is the Bazball, sir? There used to be a thing called Bazball, where is it nowadays? It's being said that it's lost somewhere in St John's Wood, because you played the entire day and scored only 250 runs," Chopra said in his YouTube Channel.

Chopra also noted that Joe Root, who had embraced a more aggressive style during the Bazball era, appeared to return to his traditional approach. He pointed out that Root, having struggled to score in the first two Tests seemed to have made a conscious decision to take his time and build his innings patiently.

"This was Joe Root's slowest half-century in the Bazball era. Ever since the era started, he had started hitting, and many times we asked the question why he was in such a hurry. Let others play as they want, but Joe Root is like the root of a tree. So, he too realised that he hadn't scored runs in the first two matches and that he would bat respectfully now," Chopra said.

Root remained unbeaten on 99 off 191 deliveries at stumps on Day 1, striking only nine boundaries during his innings and accumulating most of his runs through singles and doubles. Chopra observed that Root’s approach reflected a shift in mindset, highlighting that England’s batters have started emphasising their ability to adapt rather than always sticking to an aggressive style.

"Bazball was totally discarded, no matter who the batter was, from No. 1 to Ben Stokes. Now all of them have started saying that they are not mad, that they say they want to win, but can also play for a draw, that's also an option. They know they have to play fast, but they have the option to play slow too," Chopra said.

The cricketer-turned-commentator further pointed out that England were forced into a more cautious approach, noting that the hosts had not batted this slowly at any point in the current Bazball era. On Day 1 of the Lord’s Test, England managed just 25 fours and did not hit a single six throughout the day. Ben Duckett, who scored 23 off 40 balls at a strike rate of 57.50, ended up being the fastest scorer for England.

"Sometimes, when you don't have a good second option, or you aren't playing that well, then you look for those routes, and that's exactly what has happened. Only 250 runs being scored on the first day, it's a rarity in today's day and age. No team plays so slow, and people who talk about Bazball don't play like that at all. However, this time you saw that they were very, very slow," Chopra concluded.