File photo of England cricket team from Ranchi Test vs India.© BCCI
India on Monday defeated England by five wickets in the Ranchi Test to take an unassailable lead of 3-1 in the five-match series. Despite trailing 0-1, the host team put on a brilliant comeback to seal the series with a match to go. Meanwhile, it was the first series defeat for captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum since they took charge in 2022 and changed England’s fortunes with their attacking philosophy dubbed ‘Bazball’. Getting critical of the team’s approach, England’s legendary batter Geoffrey Boycott said that the batting cost the Three Lions the series.
“Bazball has given Test cricket a shot in the arm and England deserve praise for that. At times, I love it. But I love winning more and England have failed to beat the best two teams in the world: Australia and now India. What should really hurt them is that they should have beaten both,” wrote Boycott in The Telegraph.
“The batting cost them winning the Ashes and it lost them the series against India. In this series they have had odd moments when someone has scored a good hundred. But they have been in isolation and there has been no consistency.
“To play with no fear is good, but at times England were reckless and too cocky about how they were going to smack everybody around. Getting out is part of the game but getting yourself out is silly.”
Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel guided India to a series-clinching five-wicket win over England on day four of the fourth Test on Monday.
Chasing 192 for victory, India slipped to 120-5 but Gill (52) and Jurel (39) put on an unbeaten stand of 72 to achieve the target during the second session in Ranchi.
(With AFP Inputs)
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