'We just concentrate on what we do' - Ben Stokes gives befitting reply to Dean Elgar's 'Bazball' statement
The first Test match between England and South Africa will be played at the Lord's on August 17.
England will be locking horns with South Africa at the iconic Lord’s Cricket Ground in the first Test match starting Wednesday, August 17. Ahead of the series opener, the Proteas red-ball skipper has played down England’s ‘Bazball’ approach that has worked extremely well so far for the Three Lions ever since coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes have been at the helm of affairs.
It so happened that a determined Elgar did not get intimidated by challenging England in their own backyard and instead questioned the longevity of the ‘Bazball’ tactics against a formidable Proteas pace attack. However, his opposite number Ben Stokes has given a befitting reply saying that England will focus on doing what they do the best while the opposition keeps talking.
We’ve got a style of play: Ben Stokes
“The opposition seem to be doing a lot of the talking at the moment about it. We just concentrate on what we do,” said Stokes as quoted by India Today.
“We’ve got a style of play; they’ve got a style of play. At the end of the day, it’s bat against the ball and whoever plays best over a Test match is most likely to win”, he added.
“I’m happy for Dean and the South African team to keep saying they’re not interested but also keep talking about it. For me, it’s just about reiterating the points that we were making at the start of the summer – our mindset, attitude, and everything like that – about how we go out and play our cricket,” he further added.
Ever since Stokes and McCullum have been at the helm of affairs in England’s red-ball setup, the Three Lions have gone on to win all of their last four home matches in June and July. While they whitewashed the reigning WTC champions New Zealand 3-0, England also successfully beat India by seven wickets, chasing 378 runs in the rescheduled fifth and final Test match to level the series 2-2.
It now remains to be seen how England’s batting will fare against the fiery South African pacers in the three-match series.
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