India and England are being backed to continue playing the “great” brand of cricket that has lit up the series, despite criticism from some quarters.
Both teams will meet in the fourth Test in Ranchi on Friday with the hosts leading the five-Test series 2-1.
England suffered their heaviest defeat in the 3rd Test, conceding 434 runs, but India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal hit the 'buzz ball' with a double century, equaling Wasim Akram's record of six runs in 12 Test innings. turned the situation around.
Former England captain Mike Gatting told Al Jazeera: “To see Jaiswal play like he did, it was amazing.”
“To get to 200 points as quickly as he did and play like he did at a young age was unbelievable.
“He reminds me of a young Mohammad Azharuddin. He came in and scored 300 in the first three Tests against England.”
Yashasvi Jaiswal tops the batting charts in his maiden World Test Championship cycle 🔥
Details 👉 https://t.co/JtQKQACmFw#WTC25 | #INDVENG pic.twitter.com/dNnaagji5g
— ICC (@ICC) February 19, 2024
“That’s exactly what Test cricket needed.”
Jaiswal, 22, also hit 209 in the second Test in Visakhapatnam, but his unbeaten 214 came off just 236 deliveries in Rajkot.
“It's great that they've injected something different into Test cricket and you have to take your hat off to the young players of this era,” Gatting added.
“What they've introduced is a bit of a risk, but it's also a great sight for the audience when they decide to step up a gear, and that's their ability.
“They have the ability, they have the fundamentals of cricket, like the fundamentals of the house, and they can repeat the game expansively.”
England's dynamic approach to the game under manager Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes has revolutionized the team from the desperation of a series loss to the West Indies in 2022, leading to changes at the top. It led to
The poor performance in the third Test resurfaced criticism of the attacking style of play adopted since Joe Root replaced him as captain.
“Test cricket needed an injection and Ben and Brendan's methods were seen as very radical in the eyes of many, but they had quality players and you can't give that any amount of money. I cannot stress this enough,” Gatting said.
“It takes a tremendous amount of ability to play at that level and hit the shots that they do.
“That’s exactly what Test cricket needed.
“It's a fusion of T20 and Tests that has proven to be great and has created great Test cricket.”
The Indian team achieved an exhilarating victory in the third Test against England, registering a monumental victory by an unprecedented difference of 434 runs.guided by @ImRo45is supported by @ybj_19, @shubmangilldebutant Sarfaraz, alongside great performances from, @imjadeja and… pic.twitter.com/QJlCktT7hw
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) February 18, 2024
Gatting, 66, captained the England national team from 1986 to 1988 and was criticized for his reverse sweep in the 1987 World Cup final defeat to Australia, and is currently facing criticism for his shot selection. We know exactly what kind of situation the players are exposed to.
“When people play certain shots, it generates interesting comments,” he said. “People didn't know I was playing a reverse sweep all tournament and they said, 'If you play against that shot, you'll never play for England again.'
“The game hasn't changed. If you have a bad shot, people want to know about it. Bad shots these days include things like reverse sweeps and scoops.
“I don't think the players don't understand what's needed at certain times. Yes, it's just a matter of finding a balance, but people criticize it because they're not used to it.”
'Test cricket has changed'
Mr Gatting pointed to the approach of the great Australian teams of the 1990s, whose attempts to get four runs per over in Test cricket were themselves considered radical.
“If you look at Michael Slater, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting, Matthew Hayden and all of them playing in the 90s, it's nothing new,” he said. “That’s the way more people want to play now.
“Test cricket has changed because the whole team is now focused on Test cricket. We used to have a lot of players like Viv Richard, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Hayes, but they didn't play around. .
“It's been around for a while, it's nothing new.”
England have made two changes to their squad for the fourth time. #INDVENG test.#WTC25 | ✍: https://t.co/m2lc8gU15o pic.twitter.com/spTT9eMQgD
— ICC (@ICC) February 22, 2024
Importantly, Gatting thought, England's players now have “emotional” support to express themselves in ways that were previously restricted.
But with Stoke and McCullum in charge, fear was removed from the players' minds.
“The captain and the coach want to give people the ability to be themselves. We want you to be whatever you want to be and that's why we chose you.” Ting said.
“When you're playing at that level under that pressure, it's nice to have the support and know that it doesn't mean, 'If I leave, I can't come back.'”
“Joe Root is an interesting player. Some people will say, 'Does he need to do that?'” “Viv Richards needs to put his foot down outside the stumps and cross midwicket. ” you say? But he did it regularly and it worked.
“It's all about choosing the right shot at the right time. If you make a mistake, whether it's a reverse sweep or a drive caught in the slips, you're going to be criticized.”
The five-match series will conclude in Dharamshala in March, after which the focus will shift to the Indian Premier League, followed soon by the 2024 T20 World Cup.
The BCCI, which runs the IPL, is understood to have sent a letter to players reminding them of the importance of both domestic matches and Test cricket.
This is something that Gatting particularly wanted to praise. “What was even more fun was Jay Shah from the BCCI telling the young kids, 'Don't worry about the IPL, learn the basics of cricket first. Get involved in Test cricket and then from there.' “I heard that.” Try playing a little bit later. ”
“The message was: 'Don't think you can just go to the IPL without playing for India.' It was very interesting.”