Former India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has taken a light-hearted but sharp dig at England’s batting approach on Day 1 of the third Test at Lord’s. The veteran India off-spinner was left surprised, like many fans, as Ben Stokes’ side moved away from their aggressive ‘Bazball’ style and chose a more cautious route instead. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Ashwin jokingly said England had “betrayed everyone” who expected attacking cricket. Instead of their usual free-flowing strokeplay, England batted at a much slower pace, scoring at around three runs an over. “It was a good day for England,” Ashwin began, “but everyone believed they would continue with Bazball. What we saw instead was Prankball. Their run rate dropped, and they looked far more defensive than expected.”
Ashwin, who has played several Tests against England, said he couldn’t quite make sense of the shift in mindset. He also acknowledged Joe Root’s hundred as the standout performance of the day. “I’ve said earlier that Joe Root scoring runs is very important for England. And just when it was needed, he delivered. That knock was a proper lesson in how to play Test cricket. Root is back,” he said.
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On the field, Root’s brilliant 104 helped England reach 387 in their first innings. Jasprit Bumrah led India’s bowling with a five-wicket haul. In reply, India ended Day 2 on 145 for 3, with KL Rahul steady at one end and Rishabh Pant playing positively despite a finger injury.
