A historic day in cricket culminated in Hyderabad on Sunday when England’s debutant spinner Tom Hartley dismissed India’s Mohammed Siraj to complete the unlikeliest of victories in the first Test.
Not to be outdone by the deeds of the West Indies four hours earlier, who ended a 27-year winning drought in Australia with a eight run victory, England achieved one of the toughest feats in world cricket – an away win in India.
And voices from the UK have been swift to lavish praise on Bazball, revelling in the achievement of a lifetime.
Michael Vaughan labelled it the “greatest England Test match victory” he’s ever seen.
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BBC’s Stephan Shemilt echoed Vaughan’s statement.
“Nothing can match this,” Shemilt wrote.
“Not just beating an India team who are almost unbeatable at home, but doing so with one spinner on one leg (Jack Leach), one spinner who won’t be first choice at his county next season, another who is not old enough to qualify for the national minimum wage and one more who wasn’t even allowed into the country.
“This was the Heist of Hyderabad, straight in at the top of the Stokes-McCullum canon and in the conversation for England’s greatest overseas win of all time.”
While on the surface, they may seem big calls, it’s hard to argue with considering the tedious position England were in at the end of Day 2.
At that stage, India were 7/421 with a first innings lead of 175.
Ben Stokes hit a brave 70 in the first innings while batsmen were falling around him as England scored 246.
Their four-pronged spin bowling attack were inconsistent, with Hartley and second-gamer Rehan Ahmed’s combined first innings figures 3/236 off 49 overs.
England fight back to win first test | 01:29
India would be bowled out for 436 early on Day 3 with a 190 run lead. At that point, England were $31 to win the Test.
Enter Ollie Pope.
Pope was absolutely outstanding, hitting 196 on a wicket that was turning square. He single handily wrestled control back into England’s favour.
He displayed a myriad of shots, including switch-hit boundaries and ramp shots. It was a batting masterclass rarely seen in the Test arena, although far more often since the invention of Bazball.
Vaughan, writing for The Telegraph, labelled it one of the best innings he’s seen, while attributing English coach Brendon McCullum, who of course, is the mastermind of Bazball.
“Against spin I always thought he (Pope) was vulnerable – he was what I call a poker not a stroker. He’s found a method. That has to be down to Brendon McCullum and Marcus Trescothick. What McCullum has done is incredible,” Vaughan wrote.
“Pope deserves a huge amount of credit. I think this is his moment.
“We could now see a player who can dominate in all conditions because he’s always been able to do it against seamers. But to do it against the spinner in these conditions, in that game situation – it doesn’t get any better than that. It really doesn’t.”
The Telegraph’s cricket writer Nick Hoult wrote that this famous victory is “definitive proof” Bazball can work anywhere.
“To emerge as victors after conceding a 190-run lead, inspired by a batsman without any cricket since the Lord’s Ashes Test, and a spinner whose first ball for England was smacked for six, emphatically answered the question of whether the Bazball mindset can work in India. Scrub that, it is time to accept that it can work anywhere,” he wrote.
“The backing of Stokes and Brendon McCullum caused this. England tackled their 190-run first-innings deficit coursing with belief rather than fearing the worst. It was their batting when so far behind that turned the Test.
“To put this into context, this is the first time India have lost at home after taking a first-innings lead of more than a hundred.
“It is only their fourth defeat in a decade in India. But it is not just 1-0 to England. Their aggressive, positive batting made two great bowlers (Ravi Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja) scratch their heads and lose their confidence.”
Vaughan believes this win and further success in India by England will cause other Test playing nations to follow suit.
“Sheer brilliance” from Stokes’ run out | 00:27
“There’s no repercussions if they get out being aggressive; that is what they’re told to do,” he said.
“An old England side would have tried to get that deficit of 190 runs down in 60 or 70 overs. That’s more risky in my view. There’s going to be a ball with your name on it.
“By scoring quick and being aggressive they’re removing the usual need to take time out of the game in difficult conditions.
“Everyone loves to sneer at this England method whenever it goes wrong. But, when you look at what it is getting out of this group of players, eventually other teams will follow.”
While England’s batting saved the Test, they still needed to knock India over for less than 231 to win.
Hartley by no means bowled poorly in the first innings but there were too many loose ones.
If his confidence was somewhat low after his first taste of Test cricket, a handy 34 during an 80-run stand with Pope in the second innings would have helped.
England captain Stokes turned to the tall off-spinner very early in India’s run chase, and Hartley rewarded the faith, snaring Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill within three balls.
That set the tone for the rest of the day, with India losing their 10 wickets for 160 runs after beginning the run chase 0/42.
Hartley cleaned up with seven wickets, bowling far better areas in the second innings than he did the first.
The matchwinning wicket of Siraj was fitting after he had become bulletin board material in the England dressing room dismissing Bazball.
Bazball 1-0 India.
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