Since its inception in 2022, Bazball has taken Test cricket by storm. It has introduced a contemporary outlook to the standard format of the sport. Although there stays no clear definition of Bazball, a time period coined by an ESPN journalist, the phrase ‘Baz’ was derived from Brendon McCullum’s longstanding nickname after he had joined the England facet as their head coach in May 2022. Bazball is merely a mindset of enjoying an attacking model of cricket, each whereas batting and fielding. And the method has introduced wealthy dividends for England at residence. But as Ben Stokes and his males gear up for the five-match Test sequence in India, billed as their hardest take a look at up to now, India legend Sunil Gavaskar feels India have ‘Viratball’ as an ideal counter for Bazball.

India can be going through England in an extended five-match sequence beginning January 25 in Hyderabad. It can be India’s third project within the ongoing WTC cycle, the place they’re positioned second within the factors desk after a 1-0 win in West Indies and a 1-1 attract South Africa. This sequence may even be their first face-off within the red-ball format for the reason that rescheduled fifth Test in 2022, the place England had gained to attract the competition 2-2. India had earlier taken a shocking 2-1 lead in 2021 after two historic wins.

Virat Kohli can be a participant to be careful for within the match as he heads into the competition after a powerful present in opposition to the Proteas, the place he scored 172 runs in 4 innings, comprising a fifty. Moreover, Kohli relishes his battle in opposition to the England assault, having amassed 1991 runs in 28 matches, the second-most he scored in Tests in opposition to a single opponent.

Speaking to Star Sports forward of the sequence, Gavaskar stated that the house group has ‘Viratball’ to negate England’s Bazball as he emphasised on the previous India captain’s conversion price within the format.

“Yeah, conversion means having more hundreds than fifties. With Kohli, he has as a similar amount of hundreds and fifties, that means he has a good conversion rate. The way he’s been batting, his movement looks good. With the form that he’s in, we have Viratball to counter Bazball,” stated Gavaskar.

Gavaskar admitted that he’s eager on watching how England’s brand-new method to Test cricket fares in opposition to Indian spinners, primarily Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, who’ve 500 wickets between them in 49 matches collectively.

“England have adopted a new approach in Test cricket in the last 1-2 years. It’s an aggressive approach where batters look to attack. They just want to play attacking cricket no matter the situation. It’ll be interesting to see if this approach works against the spinners of India,” Gavaskar added.