"India are playing Bazball" - Michael Vaughan on the Men in Blue's batting in IND vs BAN 2024 2nd Test
The Team India batters came out with an aggressive approach on Day 4 (Monday, September 30) of their ongoing second and final Test of the home series against Bangladesh in Kanpur. The Men in Blue looked to be compensating for lost time as Day 2 and Day 3 were called off due to rain and a wet outfield.
The hosts picked up Bangladesh's remaining seven wickets to bundle them out for 223. India played with an attacking approach, accumulating runs at a quick pace. Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal led the charge with a quick-fire 72-run knock in just 51 deliveries.
KL Rahul also notched up a fine half-century, scoring 68 runs off 43 balls. The likes of Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill also chipped in with useful contributions, mustering 47 and 39, respectively.
Reacting to the team's batting exploits, Michael Vaughan suggested that Rohit Sharma and Co. seem to have taken a cue from England's Bazball. The former England captain wrote on the microblogging platform X:
"I see India are playing Bazball..."
It is worth mentioning that Bazball became a popular term after England transformed their approach following Brendon McCullum's appointment as their red-ball coach. It is an aggressive brand of cricket, where the Ben Stokes-led side focussed on playing fearlessly in the Test format.
India are currently placed at the top of the WTC points table
India are currently the table-toppers of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. They lead the two-match series against Bangladesh 1-0, courtesy of their stunning 280-run victory in the opening encounter in Chennai.
However, the Rohit Sharma-led side will not want the ongoing Kanpur Test to end in a draw. If the Kanpur Test is a draw, the side would need to win five out of their remaining eight matches to book a place in the WTC final, assuming that there isn't a dip in points of the other top two contenders.
Their next red-ball assignment will be a three-match home Test series against New Zealand. The side will then tour Australia for a five-match Test series.