England opener Zak Crawley commented that the majority of his teammates have improved as players after adopting the ultra-aggressive 'Bazball' approach on January 31. He noted that this approach aligns better with their natural game compared to the traditional 'take-your-time' strategy.
Despite trailing by 190 runs in the first innings, England managed to defeat India by 28 runs in the opening Test in Hyderabad. This victory showcased their resilient attitude, surprising the pre-series favourites.
Under the guidance of their New Zealand coach Brendon McCullum, England have not lost a Test match since implementing the 'Bazball' strategy.
"I suppose it ('Bazball') comes quite naturally as a lot of our teams are playing more aggressively. The mindset when I first came to England was to backlight or take your time and build a long innings and I didn't think that came naturally to me and a few of the others," Crawley said in a press conference ahead of the second Test starting on January 2.
"A lot of us play a bit better under this regime," he added.
On the other hand, India faced a selection dilemma along with addressing their poor performance in Hyderabad as all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja and top-order batter KL Rahul were sidelined due to injuries.
Furthermore, the hosts are missing their key player Virat Kohli, who opted out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons.
When questioned about the implications for the English team, Crawley emphasised that his team is primarily focused on its performance and planning.
"...we haven't spoken about that. It sounds cliched but we stick to our own lead up ... we don't bother about what they are doing," Crawley said when asked if the absence of the duo is a boost for England.
"Two very good players missing out but I'm sure looking at their depth they have two very good players coming in. So, that won't change anything for us too much. We're just trying to play the same, read the conditions on day one and see what happens for there," he added.
India have included Sarfaraz Khan, Washington Sundar, and Sourabh Kumar as replacements for the injured players. They also have the choice of selecting Rajat Patidar, an experienced domestic player.
Following the defeat in spin-friendly conditions in Hyderabad, there is much discussion about the type of wickets the hosts will prepare for the second Test starting here on January 2. However, Crawley expressed that this is not a concern for them either.
"They're absolutely a top side in their own conditions. There are four games left, we have got to stick to what we do well and hopefully results come from there," he said.
England participated in an extended training camp in Abu Dhabi to ready themselves for the series in India. Despite criticism from some former players who believed the team should have arrived in India earlier, Crawley believes that the camp proved beneficial for them.
"It was exactly how we wanted...The wickets in Abu Dhabi turned a lot because we wanted them and we made them turn," he said.
Speaking about preparation, Crawley mentioned that utilising sweep shots against spinners, a tactic that Ollie Pope executed flawlessly during his remarkable innings of 196, is a carefully planned strategy.
"I think sweeping and reverse sweeping when it's spinning is a good option. It takes the spin out of plan. I think the reverse sweep is more common for us, because there's just less field in there," he said.
"They always seem to have two men out on the leg side. If they had two men out on the other side, we'd probably play the sweep...the reverse sweep comes probably just as naturally to us as the normal sweep," he added.
Despite their sole pacer Mark Wood failing to take any wickets, Indian fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah impressed with six wickets, including 4 for 41 in the second innings, showcasing a remarkable display of reverse-swing. Crawley expressed abundant praise for the Indian star.
"He is an incredible bowler. I think he bowls a yard fuller in India or bowls long yorkers and things like that.
"They have and unbelievable seam of attack, which you can't take for granted," he signed off.
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