3 times Ben Stokes' England team made headlines with a surprise declaration
England's 'Bazball' ideology under the captaincy of Ben Stokes and the coaching of Brendon McCullum has revolutionized the way they play Test cricket. Winning 11 out of 13 Tests since the duo have been at the helm is a brilliant achievement.
However, while there has been some breathtaking batting displays with their ultra-attacking approach, there have also been times where some of their decisions left a few heads scratching. They have not held themselves back from taking that risk, and one type of such decision has been the declaration.
On that note, let's take a look at three occasions when England made a rather bold declaration during the 'Bazball' era:
#3 New Zealand vs England, 1st Test, Mount Maunganui, 2023
The pink ball Test in New Zealand's windy conditions was certainly going to test England's ultra-aggressive approach with the bat. However, they didn't shy away from playing their brand of cricket and came out all guns blazing.
While the visitors lost wickets at regular intervals, it was their mindset to keep going that helped them score 325 runs in their first innings. Some fine half-centuries from Ben Duckett and Harry Brook saw their team take the attack to New Zealand.
However, the visitors then decided to declare their innings at 325/9 in order to have a crack at New Zealand with the new ball under the lights. While it seemed an unusual decision, it worked well in their favor, as Ben Stokes and Co. ended up on the losing side by 267 runs.
#2 Pakistan vs England, 1st Test, Rawalpindi, 2022
The first of the three Tests between England and Pakistan seemed to be heading comfortably to a draw as both teams batted big in their respective first innings. However, the Bazball approach enabled the visitors to get some quick runs in their second inning.
With almost four full sessions to go, Ben Stokes took a rather brave decision to declare the inning. Quite a few eyebrows were raised as the target was just 343 and Pakistan had a great chance on a belter of a pitch to get those in the final innings.
However, that wasn't to be, as the hosts had to eventually try and save the game. The visitors got enough time to bowl out Pakistan due to the early declaration, as they won the game by 74 runs.
#1 England vs Australia, Ashes 2023, 1st Test, Edgbaston
Arguably, the most puzzling declaration of the Bazball era happened during the ongoing Ashes 2023 Test at Edgbaston. On a pretty flat batting track, the hosts lost quite a few wickets to rash shots on Day 1.
A brilliant hundred by Joe Root helped his team get to 393/8. But just when it looked like Root would tee off and probably add 30–40 more runs with the tail, Ben Stokes declared the inning.
Australia are 311/5 at the end of Day 2 and are in a great position to take a first-innings lead. This makes Stokes' decision to declare look even more bizarre. Only time will tell whether the hosts will regret this decision, as they could have added more runs.