Fourth test: A do or die for Bazball to stamp its authority?
India Vs England 4th Test Living by the sword and dying by it, is the mindset that Stokes and his Bazballers have always been promulgating as their very own discrete brand of cricket. A mantra that has always put them on the brink of eternal glory or a colossal collapse like the one we witnessed at Rajkot in the third test of the five-match series against India. The latter has prevailed in the last two tests as the team faced a scathing indictment for their lack of perseverance while batting. And England’s aggressive style of play which had received much applause after their win in Hyderabad, came back under the scanner after their humbling defeat in Rajkot. The poms in the first three tests have averaged 48.3 runs per wicket for their first two wickets. While it drops to 20.6 for wicket number three, four, and five combined, positions occupied by Root and Bairstow - both of whom have consistently failed in their roles. Part of the “Fab Four”, the ever-so-prolific Joe R...