NEW DELHI: Winning 11 Tests out of their last 13, England's ultra-aggressive 'Bazball' brand of cricket has forced the rest of the world to sit up and take notice, but will it work against the World Test Champions Australia?
As the cricketing world gears up for the marquee Ashes series, 'Bazball' revolution will be up for it's ultimate test.
Since captain Ben Stokes and coach Brendon McCullum joined forces last year, England's all-out attack tactics has been mighty impressive but a rampaging Australia too come into the hotly anticipated 5-Test series on the back of a 209-run win over India in the World Test Championship final and doubts persist whether the 'Bazball' style of play will work against the battle-hardened Australia.
Steve Waugh, the last Australia captain to win an Ashes series in England, back in 2001, is not alone in questioning whether Stokes's side have an alternative plan.
"Have they got a Plan B?" Waugh said to the Australian media. "They have shown they are good enough to carry this style of cricket off but the ultimate test will be against a world-class bowling attack, which Australia has got."
England had won just one out of 17 Tests before newly appointed English cricket chief Rob Key brought McCullum and Stokes together to oversee a dynamic revamp of their long-format game dubbed "Bazball", in reference to the nickname of former New Zealand captain McCullum.
And all-rounder Stokes is adamant he has no intention of altering his approach.
"Nothing is going to change because we've had unbelievable success with it," the 32-year-old told the BBC.
"If we were to change anything from the last 12 months because we find ourselves in an Ashes series then anything from the last 12 months will have been completely pointless."
1/10:Ashes: Head-to-head record between Australia and England
2/10:Ashes supremacy between two giants
<p>Since 1883, Australia have had the upper hand and held the Ashes for approximately 82.5 years, and England for 55.5 years.<br /><br /><br /></p>
3/10:Series record between Australia and England
<p>In the 72 Ashes series between the two sides, Australia have won 34 times and England have won 32 times with 6 times ending as draws.<br /></p>
4/10:Match records between the two sides
<p>There have been 356 matches played between Australia and England, where Australia have won 150 times till its inception and England have won 110 times and the rest of the 96 are drawn games.<br /></p>Getty Images
5/10:Australia’s record in the Ashes
<p>Australia have won 99 matches at home and won 51 matches away from home.<br /><br /><br /></p>Getty Images
6/10:England’s record in the Ashes
<p>England have won 53 matches at home and won 57 matches away from home.<br /></p>Getty Images
7/10:Most runs by a batter in the Ashes history
<p>The Australian legend Sir Donald Bradman holds the record for most runs scored in Ashes history. He scored 5028 runs in 37 matches at an average of 89.78 with 12 half-centuries and 19 centuries under his belt with the highest score of 334.<br /><br /><br /></p>Getty Images
8/10:Most wickets by a bowler in the Ashes history
<p>One of the greatest spinners of all time, Shane Warne holds the record for most wickets taken in the Ashes history. He scalped 195 wickets in 36 matches at an economy of 2.52 with the best bowling figures of 8/71.<br /></p>Getty Images
9/10:Most hundreds by a batter in the Ashes history
<p>Sir Donald Bradman yet again gets listed on this elite list. He made 19 centuries in the Ashes which is the most by any batter in the Ashes history.<br /></p>Getty Images
10/10:Most five-wicket hauls by a bowler in the Ashes history
<p>Australia’s leading wicket-taker, Warne holds the record for most five-wicket hauls in Ashes history. He has a tally of 11 five-wicket hauls in 36 Ashes matches.<br /></p>Getty ImagesEngland have scored at an eye-watering 4.85 runs an over in the past year.
And England great James Anderson, Test cricket's most succesful paceman, said that had benefits for the bowlers as well.
"The (bowling) run-rate is irrelevant to Ben in particular," explained Anderson.
"He's like 'I don't care how many runs you go for, I want 20 wickets as quickly as possible'. You're constantly thinking, as a bowler then, about 'How am I taking my next wicket'?"
Of more immediate concern to England fans than Stokes's philosophy is his fitness.
Stokes, a lively seamer, opted against bowling himself in England's recent 10-wicket win over Ireland after struggling with a knee injury.
He has since declared himself fit to bowl and with Anderson and fellow paceman Ollie Robinson suffering niggling injuries, the hosts will hope he can make good on those words.
England will be without Jack Leach for the whole Ashes after the left-arm spinner was ruled out with a back problem.
Moeen Ali has been recalled in his absence and the off-spinner's two-year Test retirement could end at his Edgbaston home ground, even though he averages an expensive 64.65 in Ashes cricket.
Ashes-holders Australia, by contrast, have a proven world-class off-spinner in Nathan Lyon, who is closing in on 500 Test wickets.
1/10:The Ashes: Origin and history
Getty Images
2/10:The Ashes
<p>Standing at little more than 10 centimetres (four inches) tall, the original Ashes urn resides in the Marylebone Cricket Club museum at the famous Lord's ground in London. </p>Getty Images
3/10:Ashes 1882
<p>The use of the term "Ashes" dates from England's first home defeat against Australia at The Oval in London in 1882. </p>Getty Images
4/10:Mock obituary
<p>Following Australia's victory, Sporting Times journalist Reginald Shirley Brooks printed a mock obituary of English cricket, saying: "The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia". </p>Getty Images
5/10:Terracotta urn
<p>A few weeks later, England set off to tour Australia and, after a "social" match near Melbourne on Christmas Eve 1882, English captain Ivo Bligh was given a small terracotta urn as a symbol of the "Ashes" he had sworn to win back.</p>Getty Images
6/10:Burnt cricket bail
<p>In 1998, Bligh's 82-year-old daughter-in-law said the urn contains the remains of her mother-in-law's veil, while others claim it is filled with the ashes of a burnt cricket bail.</p>Getty Images
7/10:Sporting rivalries
<p>Few sporting rivalries are fiercer than the Ashes, with battered bodies and bloodied faces all part of more than a century of feuding. </p>Getty Images
8/10:Bodyline
<p>In the 1932/33 "Bodyline" series, England, led by Douglas Jardine, deliberately aimed fast deliveries at Australian batters' bodies rather than the stumps in the hope they would get out trying to protect themselves. </p>Getty Images
9/10:Harold Larwood
<p>The aggressive tactic, led by England's main strike bowler Harold Larwood was seen as unsporting, but unrepentant England won the series to the fury of their bruised opponents.</p>Getty Images
10/10:Botham's Ashes
<p>The 1981 series was named "Botham's Ashes" after all-rounder Ian Botham's feats with bat and ball inspired England to victory. </p>Getty ImagesCaptain Pat Cummins is in the fortunate position of deciding if either Mitchell Starc or Josh Hazlewood joins him in a fast-bowling attack likely to include Scott Boland.
Boland's fine WTC final display -- he took five wickets in the match -- left him with 33 wickets in eight Tests at a miserly average of 14.57.
Second-ranked Australia drew the last Ashes series in England in 2019 2-2 and demolished the old enemy 4-0 on home turf in 2021/22.
But they have not won a series in England for 22 years, with many of their batsmen, the outstanding Steve Smith excepted, struggling to adapt to English conditions.
Australia have now gone 12 Test innings in England since enjoying a first-wicket stand of 20 or more, while under-pressure opener David Warner, 36, has now managed just one century in his past 34 Test innings against all opponents.
His battle with his nemesis, paceman Stuart Broad, will be just one of a number of fascinating subplots, with Tests at Lord's, Headingley, Old Trafford and The Oval to follow the curtainraiser in Birmingham.
"An Ashes (in England) is bloody hard to win. It's been 20-odd years so it's not going to be easy," said the 30-year-old Cummins. "If we win, that is legacy-defining stuff."
(With inputs from AFP)
