England vs South Africa: Mohammad Kaif explains why Bazball failed in 1st Test
- South Africa defeated England by an innings and 12 runs in the first Test
- Mohammad Kaif believes Bazball does not work against world class bowling attacks
- South Africa's Kagiso Rabada was the star performer of the first Test as he claimed seven wickets
As England was handed their first Test defeat since Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum took over, by South Africa on Friday, August 19, the Three Lions were criticised for their overly aggressive approach by several pundits. Under McCullum, England has been using an aggressive approach in Test matches, that has been made famous as the ‘Bazball.’
Former India international cricketer Mohammad Kaif is also not impressed by Bazball, who voiced his opinion on Twitter as to why Bazball did not work as South Africa registered a win by an innings and 12 runs on Friday.
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“South Africa shows that Bazball doesn’t work against world class bowling attack with variety and a sharp captain who sets smart fields,” Kaif tweeted.
England was bowled out by South Africa in a meagre 165 runs in the first innings, with Ollie Pope being the only silver lining, who scored 73 runs off 102 balls. However, he was dismissed by Kagiso Rabada, who claimed five wickets in the first innings. Rabada also went on to claim two more wickets in the second innings.
Apart from Rabada, Anrich Nortje and Marco Jansen took six and four wickets respectively in the match.
England tried to make a comeback in the second innings, however, was bowled out for 149 runs as Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje continued their impressive form. Keshav Maharaj and Lungi Ngidi also displayed memorable performances, registering figures of 2/35 and 1/15 in the second innings.
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This is not the first time England has received suggestions from other former players turned pundits to be cautious while using Bazball. Former England captain Nasser Hussain, in a recent column, urged England to be alert against the South African bowling, who are currently leading the table in the World Test Championship.
England will face South Africa in the second Test in Manchester, which begins on August 25.
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