IND vs ENG 2024: Didn’t see Bazball, England were not brave enough – Graeme Swann slams Ben Stokes-led team

Former England spinner Graeme Swann slammed the visitors after they lost the five-match Test series against India by 4-1. England lost the last Test match at Dharamsala by an innings and 64 runs as they were outplayed by India in all three departments.

Swann reckons they didn’t see Bazball in action and England was not brave enough throughout the series. Barring Ollie Pope’s magnum opus knock of 196 runs in the second innings at Hyderabad, Swann feels England failed to play at their full potential.

England lost the third Test match at Rajkot by 434 runs, which is their biggest Test defeat. The visitors failed to come up with a collective effort throughout the series as their middle order could not deliver the goods.

“I don’t think we have seen Bazball in this trip whatsoever, we saw it for one innings of this Test series, that’s when Ollie Pope got a 190, and that was the definition of Bazball,” said Swann on PTI.

“I think England, where they have fallen flat in this series is, they have not been brave enough. I don’t think they have played what you guys in the media call Bazball. I think if they had, I think this series would have been closer if I am honest,” Swann added.

Swann, who played a key role in England’s 2012 series win against India, added the hosts were too good for the tourists in the final Test at Dharamsala.

“I would say it’s a very good advertisement for Test cricket, because it was an exciting match. India were just too good for England in this game. It’s always at the end of a series if it’s already been won by one team, you worry that this will happen, the resistance will be completely blown away and it was in this Test match,” said Swann.

“So England will have to go home and shake themselves off wondering where it went so badly wrong. India are world class, especially their bowling attack, and that was really shown again in this Test match,” Swann added.

After the conclusion of a five-match Test series, India sits at the numero uno position in the latest WTC rankings while England finds themselves struggling in ninth place