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Bazball was defeated but will it prevail in the long run?

Check out the Racing And Sports Preview with a few betting ideas at the end for the last India England Test.

INDIA v ENGLAND

5th Test

7-11 March 2024 @ Dharamsala

Was Joe Root playing with common sense at Ranchi a sign that he was part of the Rebel Alliance and a traitor?

The bright new shiny thing that was the current English style had another piece of time in the sun last week but once again it was tossed aside when one bad day, nay session broke the toy.

Those who eulogised the combative nature of Bazball were at their peaks over the last two English summers, and the world was a rosy place.

Opening partnerships going at 7 per over, declaring before the end of Day 1, chasing 350+ in the last innings and all said it would revolutionise and revitalise Test Cricket.

There is certainly something to say for not being overly critical of the theory in these circumstances. Test Cricket is facing attacks on more sides than that very Rebel Alliance at the Battle Of Hoth.

And yet with the same bold tactics and masterful resistance, similar outcomes can occur. Defence is as important as attack but equally is knowing when to defend and when to attack.

This is the essence of how Bazball has its limitations and why the 4th test at Ranchi was a classic representation. Against a very much weakened Indian side, England had an inbuilt advantage.

No Kohli with the bat nor Bumrah with the ball, should have meant they played well, and the win was there for the taking with adaptability and intensity.

At 5/112 on Day 1, toss all that malarkey out the window. But low and behold, Joe Root put the ramping and reversing mostly out the window and things changed.

He also found unlikely allies in Foakes and Robinson and a proper forward defence was as effective as hitting one over backward point for six. Joe Root proved his class again.

Once the hosts were 7/177 you had the game going in one direction but unlike the band, things were about to not 'make things beautiful'. Another 130 runs on and one senses the trajectory of the game turning.

54 overs later and one knew the trajectory of the game was in free-fall. Without the capacity of decent defence, coupled with poor technique, decision making and the notion that things happen at warp speed on Indian decks, and the Test was effectively gone.

However with balls starting to run along the ground, cool heads were needed from a more fragile home side batting line up. Those cooler heads were ice cold early as Rohit and Jaiswal got to 84 but the last day had more twists.

0/84 became 5/120 and the last 72 runs looked in a far, far away galaxy. Shubman Gill and the newcomer Dhruv Jurel started sniffing the pitch with forward prods and working singles rather than trying to knock off the remainder in 12 overs.

It wore England down and a Series victory ensued. Even though at home, it was a great credit to them given the legend that is Kohli has been sadly scratched and a rotation of quicks plus injury to spinners has not allowed them any amount of stability.

Due to the series decision, sadly the last test will not have the inbuilt drama but could see it played with more freedom. Not that England need much invitation to do that as we explained.

Is this Jimmy Anderson's last overseas Test? Is this Jimmy Anderson's last Test at all? Who knows but he is one of England's greats and such a warhorse into his 40s.

Surely he plays as Dharamsala hosts only its second test ever. That was when Australia were there in 2017 and despite a Steve Smith hundred, 300 was never enough in the first dig.

Even though only leading by 32 on first innings, three of the spinners in this current series ripped through the Aussies and barely three figures were needed to win.

With some rain and even some into the game, what sort of pitch will be another interest at the picturesque ground. A cold, dank set up seems much more in the English style so maybe back to two quicks?

With that in mind perhaps India only need to play Jadeja and Ashwin and bring Bumrah back plus another paceman?

You'd like to be on Bumrah to cause some havoc given he's had that little break. His accuracy, pace and skill challenges most so give him conditions which can suit – LOOK OUT!!

As long as England don't feel like they've walked into a trap, you'd still not be surprised to see them play well enough and even win here on this pitch. That is unless the weather changes and the 22 yards ends up resembling Tatooine with all those craters.