'What's Bazball?': Manjrekar plays down hype using epic Rishabh Pant example

England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach, named in honour of McCullum's nickname, has made headlines in the past week, with his team pulling out a sensational victory at Edgbaston.

Ben Stokes, England's talisman, has reversed his side's slumping Test cricket since his appointment as the skipper. But much credit has to be given to coach Brendon McCullum, who has lifted the side with his attacking philosophy. England's new attacking "Bazball" approach is entertaining to watch and its latest example was the Poms pulling off their fourth successful chase in as many Tests under the new leadership duo of McCullum and Stokes.

Sanjay Manjrekar and Rishabh Pant (Getty | AP)

Fresh from a 3-0 whitewash of Test world champions New Zealand, England batters Joe Root (142 not out) and Jonny Bairstow (114 not out) shared an unbroken partnership of 269 runs as England ended a five-match series all square at 2-2. On the win, Stokes said England's method was down to a change in attitude from a team which had won just one of its 17 previous Test matches prior to the New Zealand series.

England's aggressive 'Bazball' approach, named in honour of McCullum's nickname, has made headlines in the past week. But former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar believes Rishabh Pant has been playing in a similar fashion since his Test debut in 2018. The left-handed dasher scored a brilliant 146 off just 111 balls in the first innings at Edgbaston.

"So what’s Bazball? Well, it’s how Rishabh Pant has been playing in his last 31 Tests," tweeted the former cricketer-turned-commentator.

"In English conditions, especially where you know one bowler is pitching on the same spot, then it is important to disturb him," Pant told reporters about his free-flowing ton comprising 20 fours and four sixes. "As a player, I give my 100 per cent. Yes, I might play some different shots sometimes, but I try to play my percentage (strokes)."

England assistant coach Paul Collingwood also lavished praise on Pant's counter-attacking inning. “I don’t feel our backs were against the wall for too long, but hats off to the way Pant played. When you’re up against world-class players, they can do world-class things,” Collingwood was quoted as saying by the media.

“I take my hat off to the way that Pant played. When you play against world-class players, they can do world-class things. And today he had his day.

“Pant came out to play a bit of Bazball, as everyone keeps calling it,” said Collingwood. “When you have a bit of moisture in the pitch early on, you have a chance to take early wickets, which is what we did. We’re going against the grain of much of the cricket that’s been played over the last 100 years … We are trying to play as positive as possible, and play entertaining cricket. Ben (Stokes) is not going to take a backwards step.”

Pant's dynamic 146, combined with Ravindra Jadeja's hundred, showed India can also produce an attacking play in the longest format.

"We also showed when Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jadeja were playing in the first innings – we played pretty positive cricket," said head coach Rahul Dravid despite India's seven-wicket defeat at Edgbaston.