"We definitely cannot say that we have gotten rid of Bazball" - Parthiv Patel on India's win in 2nd Test vs England
Parthiv Patel reckons India have not overcome England's 'Bazball' approach just because they won the second Test in Visakhapatnam.
India suffered a 28-run loss after taking a 190-run first-innings lead in the first Test against England. They bounced back to complete a 106-run win in the second game on Monday (February 5) to draw level in the five-match series.
During a discussion on Colors Cineplex, Parthiv Patel was asked whether India's win in the second Test implies that they have gotten rid of Bazball. He replied in the negative, reasoning:
"We definitely cannot say that we have gotten rid of Bazball because when India had set a nearly 400-run target in the fourth innings, we were still thinking that they might be able to chase it."
The former India wicketkeeper-batter added that the hosts might have struggled to win the second Test if Joe Root and Ben Stokes hadn't virtually gifted their wickets.
"332 runs were required on the fourth morning and yet it seemed like that. 106 runs were left when they got all out. If Joe Root hadn't played that shot and Ben Stokes hadn't gone for a walk in the park, if that run-out dismissal hadn't happened, it might have been difficult," Patel said.
Root scored a 10-ball 16 and was caught by Axar Patel off Ravichandran Ashwin's bowling while attempting a wild hoick. Stokes was slightly lethargic while taking a single and was found short of the crease by Shreyas Iyer's direct hit.
"It's also true that India were in a position where they could have batted England out of the game in both Test matches" - Parthiv Patel
![Shubman Gill was the only Indian batter to make a substantial contribution in the second innings of the second Test. [P/C: BCCI]](https://statico.sportskeeda.com/editor/2024/02/fd470-17072003705791-1920.jpg?w=500)
Parthiv Patel noted that India missed chances to virtually bat England out of the game in both Tests. He observed:
"It's also true that India were in a position where they could have batted England out of the game in both Test matches and India couldn't do that in both places. In the first Test, Axar (Patel) and Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) could add only 15 runs when they came to bat on the third morning."
The cricketer-turned-commentator added that Rohit Sharma and company should be more concerned about their batting instead of Bazball.
"Here also if the Indian team are getting all out for 255 on this pitch, they will think for sure that they have given slightly below-par performances with the bat. So more than Bazball, I feel how much they focus on their own batting will matter more," Parthiv Patel said.
Yashasvi Jaiswal (209 in the first innings) and Shubman Gill (104 in the second essay) were the only Indian batters to cross the half-century mark on the placid Visakhapatnam pitch. All the other batters got starts in both innings but couldn't convert them into substantial efforts.