Ben Stokes had a statement for those courageous, or perhaps imprudent, enough to imply to him that England’s disastrous performance in the Himalayas was a fatal blow for Bazball.
He said: “It’s a tough game, cricket, and it can eat you up,’ said the England captain after India sent his side packing within three-days here to give themselves an emphatic 4-1 victory. We are big enough to say we’ve been completely outplayed and beaten by the better team. I’m obviously disappointed but write me, and this team, off at your peril.”
It was a customary display of defiance from the England captain, but once the dust settles on this final Test defeat by an innings and 64 runs, Stokes will undoubtedly recognize that a fourth consecutive loss raises serious concerns about his partnership with Brendon McCullum.
England hasn’t won a Test series in 15 months, since their successful days in Pakistan. The latest collapse, with England being bowled out for 195 in response to India’s 477, marks their eighth loss in the last 12 matches. This starkly contrasts with the initial success under Stokes and McCullum, where England won 10 out of their first 11 Tests, erasing the dark period at the end of Joe Root’s captaincy.
Stokes further said: “I think we’ve done a lot of things right,’ insisted Stokes. ‘This series shouldn’t affect anything we’ve achieved before this tour. It’s the first time, particularly the last four games, that this team has been pretty much dominated. We will use this as inspiration to be better.
‘This media name ‘Bazball.’ Everyone says ‘what is it?’ To me it’s wanting to be a better player. In the face of defeat Bazball will hopefully inspire our team to become even better than we are. You can learn a lot from failure.”
Adding to the woes is England’s first series defeat under Stokes and McCullum, alongside the struggles of Jos Buttler’s white-ball team, who faced their own challenges during the World Cup. This winter has been particularly dismal for England. Despite India facing setbacks, England failed to capitalize, succumbing to batting collapses against formidable bowling attacks.
India’s dominance at home further emphasizes the challenging nature of overseas tours. Despite England’s initial triumph in the first Test, they faltered thereafter, unable to maintain their performance against India’s strong showing in their own conditions.
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