Ben Stokes, the captain, and Brendon McCullum, the batsman, have completely altered the way England plays Test cricket. With the longest format of the game, the team plays aggressive cricket and isn’t afraid to take on any challenge that comes their way. James Anderson, a seasoned bowler, has claimed to have chased 399 runs in just 60–70 overs against India, which is not only exceptional but unprecedented in the history of cricket.
In the 24 Test matches that England has played, they have won 15 of them, thanks to Stokes. They are now tied at one point in the five-match series versus India; the third game is scheduled to start in Rajkot on February 15. While this was going on, former England international Ian Botham was praising his country’s aggressive brand of cricket, known as “Bazball,” and claimed it was the reason why Test match attendance was rising. Botham was commenting about the team’s success in red-ball cricket.
You only need to observe the masses. Now, Test cricket is beginning to draw larger numbers again. The grounds were packed when we played India 20–30 years ago in India. The popularity of one-day cricket and the Indian Premier League suddenly declined. Botham stated on SEN Radio that “people are now returning and wanting to see Bazball.”
In the end, you are performers; therefore, providing entertainment is essential if you want fans to attend the games. They prefer it when guys just dominate the game, not when they score 1.2 runs per hour. It is inevitable to lose a game or two here and there, but England has played 15 and won 12. It was just unheard of for England to sell out games on all five days.
According to the 68-year-old, test cricket is in better shape now than it has been in a long time.
In the interim between their series against India, England has traveled to Abu Dhabi for a holiday. The Three Lions moved to the UAE to avoid the “heat of the battle,” as McCullum clarified, and they will not be training there.
India
