Robert Craddock: Why Bazball failing gives Test cricket the publicity it badly needs

Australians celebrating the demise of the English is nothing new. But now there’s much more at stake thanks to Bazball, writes ROBERT CRADDOCK.

Bazball’s secret gift to Test cricket is that when it wins it’s big news but when it goes belly up it’s even bigger.

Either way it’s a publicity juggernaut fuelled by clashing opinions, massive praise when it works and a huge debate over how far is too far when it doesn’t.

Australians love bagging Bazball but in its own wacky way England’s new cavalier style is helping to future proof Test cricket by making every match England plays a game of mad-capped adventure.

In this series against India England have at times soared with the eagles before exploding like an overcooked engine in the last innings of the third Test.

Ben Stokes says England’s Bazballers have no intention of changing their approach. Picture: Gareth Copley/Getty Images

It was thrills or spills and very little in between. The ultimate publicity machine.

England trail 2-1 in the five Test series entering Friday’s fourth Test on what is tipped to be a cracked turner in Ranchi.

England are up against it but they love these types of crumbling “everyone wins a prize’’ decks because they narrow the skills gap between their modestly credentialed slow men and India’s world class operatives Ravi Ashwin and Ravi Jadeja.

Bowling on a severely cracked is a bit like a fishing competition in an aquarium – everyone is likely to get a feed.

It’s anyone’s guess how England will go because the only certainty with England is that they will go down swinging.

The reverse lap which brought Joe Root undone during the third Test.

The brave-foolish-flawed reverse scoop played by Joe Root in England’s landslide defeat by India in the third Test has become one of the most analysed and criticised cricket shots of the century.

In the English media the Root debate forced it way through a mountain of English Premier League soccer results to be a major topic of national interest.

Root’s shot was bad for England but great for the wider interests of Test cricket as discussion about it spread through every Test nation.

Plenty of pundits scolded Root for being so reckless. Others said if you laud him for the days when the shot comes off you have to accept the days he falls headfirst from the high wire.

Ben Stokes captaincy record of 14 wins, seven losses and one draw from 22 starts is still impressive enough for England to absorb some more shock losses.

Stokes is adamant he will not change his style and nor England theirs.

They will attack and then attack some more. That’s great news for Test cricket. It may not be so good for England – but that’s what makes it so interesting.

Originally published as Robert Craddock: Why Bazball failing gives Test cricket the publicity it badly needs