As England bat in the first innings, lots of Australians will be asking: what exactly is this Bazball business everyone keeps banging on about?
While he did more damage with the ball than with the bat, no one knows what Bazball means for England better than Stuart Broad.
Broad, who retired after the 2023 Ashes series, played for one year under the Brendon McCullum-led philosophy of aggressive batting during Test matches.
The tactic didn’t seem to work for Zac Crawley after he fell for a duck in the first over to Mitchell Starc.
Broad explained on Channel Seven’s coverage this morning before play what Bazball really meant.
“It’s about freeing the guys’ mindset. You’re under pressure all the time from external sources, so it’s about trying to change the mindset in the changing room, to take the game on,” he said.
“It’s pretty much exactly what Australia have done for years. Travis Head does it now. Not being scared to get out. It’s a language in the changing room that encourages the players to run towards the danger, just go towards the pressure, to take on the game.
“It’s a batting mindset more than bowling – the job there is to go out and take 10 wickets as quickly as you can.
“But England players in the past have sometimes gone into their shell, trying to protect themselves or their position in a batting unit, rather than play fully for the team and the style.
“And you look at it in the 2023 Ashes in England the Australian bowlers’ economy rates were higher than they have ever been before.
“If you let Hazlewood come into bowl and Starc just bowl, they will not miss, and they’ll put you under pressure all day. If you try and put them off that length, then you have a chance.”
Broad, who defended his comments that this was Australia’s worst home Ashes side since 2010–11 to The Nightly earlier this week, again stood by his argument.
He said the assessment was based on how good the Australians have been since that series at home, having not lost a Test to England here for 15 years.
But he said with both Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood out through injury and Jake Weatherald making his debut as an opener, Australia was not as sure of itself as it had previously been.
“They never have doubts over who’s going to open the batting. They never seem to have injury worries – Pat Cummins, Hazlewood -when do they ever miss games against England?” he said.
“So there’s a bit of a haze over the Australian side a little bit. But let’s not be wrong, they’re a fantastic, fantastic team.”
WATCH EVERY BALL OF THE ASHES LIVE AND FREE ON SEVEN AND SEVEN PLUS
