Australia resist England’s bowling and Bazball: Ashes 2023 review

We review the recently concluded five-Test series between England and Australia that ended 2-2 – with Australia retaining the Ashes. It was a series defined by England’s ‘Bazball’ approach to batting – though that undersells how well Australia’s batters resisted English bowling and how well Australia bowled in largely batting-friendly conditions.

Apple PodcastsSpotify

Talking Points:

• A neutral view of the Ashes – and how it is hard to pick a team to support
• The limits of Bazball – and why England’s recent success stems from their bowling depth
•  Australia’s bowlers adjusting to the flat pitches and England’s risk-taking
• Why did England not want to prepare seamer-friendly pitches at home and capitalise on their big strength?
• Stokes v Starc on the final morning at Lord’s
• The cult of Bazball – and how it fits in well with the English cricket establishment’s exceptionalism
• Mark Wood’s pace and Nathan Lyon’s absence
• The effect of Bazball on England’s bowling attack
• Stuart Broad’s cinematic goodbye
•  England’s chances in the five-Test series in India next year

Participants:

Siddhartha Vaidyanathan (@sidvee)

Mahesh Sethuraman (@cornerd)

Kartikeya Date (@cricketingview) | Substack | ESPNcricinfo page

Ashoka (@ABVan)

———————————————————————————————

Buy The Summer Game by Gideon Haigh (recently republished by 81allout)

India (hardback) | India (paperback) | India (e-copy)

Australia (paperback, e-copy)

USA (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

UK (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

Canada (hardback, paperback, e-copy)

———————————————————————————————

Related:

• Why did Bazball fail to regain the Ashes – Kartikeya Date – Cricketingview Substack
• Stokes and McCullum want to save Test cricket but we must look beyond Big Three – Jonathan Liew – Guardian
• England ‘wanted to pick Wood’ but settle for Tongue in all-seam attack – Matt Roller – ESPNcricinfo
•  Bazball: a cult of bruised masculinity where you win even if you lose – Barney Ronay – Guardian
• Mark Wood and the primal theatre of pure pace – Ben Gardner – Wisden

Lead image from here.