BCCI President Roger Binny has issued a straightforward comment regarding the England National Cricket Team’s loss in the five-match Test series against India under the leadership of Ben Stokes.
Ever since Ben Stokes took over as captain and Brendon McCullum became the head coach, the England National Cricket Team has embraced an aggressive and entertaining style of play in Test cricket, known as the Bazball approach. This approach proved to be quite successful, with England dominating their opponents and staying undefeated in all Test series leading up to their tour of India. The team made a strong statement by winning the first match of the India tour.
While expectations were high for Ben Stokes and his team to continue their winning streak, the Indian team, led by Rohit Sharma, displayed a dominant performance in the next three matches. Unfortunately for England, they faced consecutive defeats, and India secured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the series.
The series loss marked the first setback for England under the Bazball regime, prompting criticism from former cricketers, including English greats. Questions were raised about the effectiveness of the Bazball approach against a formidable opponent like India.
BCCI President Roger Binny has responded to England’s series defeat, attributing it to Stokes’ captaincy. According to him, Stokes’ leadership was a key factor in the team’s performance.
“Well, the captaincy of Ben Stokes so he has been more aggressive, and I think that has been the (reason for their) downfall in the few Test matches,” Roger Binny told PTI in an exclusive chat.
“Being so aggressive and trying to take on the Indian spinners in difficult times (situations) rather than hanging around and trying to make a big score,” said Binny.
The BCCI President expressed his admiration for Rohit Sharma’s leadership during the England Test series, highlighting the captain’s tactical acumen and commendable patience.
“Rohit Sharma again has been very tactful. You know he knew exactly what he wanted to do and he got his bowlers to do that.”
“I don’t think England changed their strategy. They went on the same attacking mode like what they did in the first Test match. But, I think, Rohit was more patient because he had the first Test in his pocket at one stage and then he let it go. He was patient enough in the next two Tests and won both,” he said.
Talking about the match, Indian skipper Rohit Sharma (103) and Shubman Gill (110) showcased their prowess with scintillating centuries at the top, forming a formidable partnership of 174 runs and seamlessly continuing the momentum from day 1. Following their stellar performance, Sarfaraz Khan (56) and Devdutt Padikkal (65) made noteworthy contributions with impressive half-centuries in the middle order. The later stages of the innings saw Jasprit Bumrah adding an unbeaten 47 runs alongside Kuldeep Yadav (27*), helping the Indian team to secure a commanding lead of 255 runs, and by the day’s end, India had amassed a total of 473/8, firmly taking control of the game.
