By Sabyasachi Bhattacherjee
The 'buzzball' tactic that once revolutionised Test cricket in the Lord's Test seemed to have suddenly disappeared. That was evident from England's batting in the second session of Thursday's match. That was evident from England's batting in the second session of Thursday's match. The team that had previously shown the audacious mentality of scoring 300 runs in a session, this time scored just 70 runs in just 24 overs in the second session. The run rate per over was 2.91 — the second lowest run rate in England's Test history in home conditions over the last three years.
Cricket analysts expressed disappointment over the incident, and Indian cricketers also took to the air with sarcasm. Shubman Gill jokingly said while fielding, "Welcome back to boring Test cricket, boys!" Mohammad Siraj also quipped, "Bazball! Bazball! I want to see it!" He seemed to be throwing a challenge at England's batters, can they even play that aggressive batting cricket?
England lost their two openers early in the day. Then Joe Root and Ollie Pope came on the field. The two of them managed to put the innings together, but there was not a drop of aggression in their batting. The fact that 'buzzball' is becoming limited to pen and paper was reflected in Root-Pope's innings. Even before tea, England's score was only 153/2 in 53.4 overs — a complete reversal of their recent 'buzzball' form.
Experts say England may be playing a more defensive style of cricket, out of respect for India's bowling attack. Others say this kind of slow-paced batting is at odds with 'buzzball' and shatters the expectations of cricket fans. Various comments and criticisms have started on social media. Many have raised the question, is it not possible to play the 'buzzball' strategy continuously? Or does this strategy break down on its own when the opponent is difficult?
On the other hand, the Indian team's humor and on-field commentary are now the focus of more discussion. Shubman Gill and Siraj's direct comments make it clear that they are enjoying England's 'blockball' style and are trying to mentally pressure their opponents. This is the old mental game of Test cricket, where the field is not just a battle of ball and bat, but also a battle of mental strength.
Overall, England's slow batting in the Lord's Test has raised a new question — is the era of buzzer-beating coming to an end? Or is it just a tactical pause? Only time will tell. However, the excitement and aggressive play that cricket fans were expecting has not yet been seen at Lord's.
It remains to be seen whether England will revert to the same form of buzzball in the next innings, or establish a new form of 'blockball'.
