England vs Australia: did Bazball fail in opening Ashes Test? How hubris can hurt Ben Stokes’ Ashes campaign

An Ashes Test series is always a make or break for any player or coach and you cannot really have succeeded within the England or Australia set-up until you’ve lifted that precious urn.

Ever since the phrase ‘Bazball’ first started appearing in the vernacular, England cricket fans have been waiting in anticipation to see how this explosive style of play was set to fare against the Australians, and whether Brendon McCullum really did have what it takes.

Well, we are one match down with four to go and if England do end the summer without the urn, fans all around the world will have been treated to the most exciting series yet if what we just witnessed is anything to go by.

As Pat Cummins began his run up on Friday 16 June at 11am, England fans had visions of stumps clattering behind Zak Crawley, mirroring the start of the 2021-22 series.

But no, not this time. The man with the lowest opening average in Test cricket hammered the ball through the covers for four and England were away. And so it began - England’s Bazball Ashes era was not here to mess about.

Five days later and the game is still hanging in the balance, heads in the hands of fans on both sides before Cummins produced an exceptional cameo batting performance to secure the win at Edgbaston - England lose by two wickets.

Yet there’s something different about this loss. There isn’t the usual sense of doom and dread that England fans had become so accustomed to in the era of one win in 17 matches. As we head into the remaining four battles, England are most definitely closer to producing something quite spectacular than we have seen against the Australians for a while and a repeat of the 2005 magic could well be on the cards.

To do this, however, there are certain changes that anyone other than Ben Stokes or Brendon McCullum would likely make as we head down the M1 to Lord’s.

After the loss, Stokes was asked whether the result would have any bearing on the style of play to which he replied: “A loss is a loss, we said we are going to keep playing this way. This is the way we will continue playing, going hard at Australia, taking certain decisions that feel right.”

One of these decisions was the baffling choice to declare on 393/7 with half an hour left of play on day one.

When questioned whether he had any regrets over this call, the all-rounder said: “Not at all, I saw it as a chance to pounce on Australia.” A bizarre conclusion when it seems relatively obvious a few more runs in the bank for England could quite easily have been the difference for that final session of play.

But that isn’t the England way anymore - they reportedly don’t concentrate on the results or the ‘what ifs’ but look forward and focus on the enjoyment aspect - a commendable goal but the enjoyment is surely hampered by the loss? And let’s face it - this is an Ashes series, England have to win.

Bazball can win the Ashes, but it must not be blinded by such hubris that they throw away such advantageous moments (for example batting on the first day of a Test match where the wicket more closely resembles a road than a cricket pitch) and consequently lose a match just to secure some sort of result.

It doesn’t seem too far-fetched to suggest that most England fans would much prefer to be heading into Lord’s 0-0 rather than one match down? Just because the Test ends in a draw does not mean it isn’t an exciting fixture. There have been numerous draws which have still lit up the grounds - most notably England Women’s Test match draw in their Ashes series in 2022.

Of course, Bazball is merely a phenomenon, so the idea of ‘Bazball’ working or failing is somewhat obsolete. But it is a phenomenon that we are all happy to be captured and enraptured by. And even if nothing else, the journey along the way is set to be a jaw-dropping, nail-biting and oftentimes gut-wrenching pilgrimage for cricket fans around the world.

The countdown for Wednesday is already on as we wait not-so-patiently for the second Test match of what is set to be an unforgettable summer of Ashes cricket to get underway.