Overconfidence or playing by the book? 'Bazball' reduced to Ashes by mighty Australia

Ashes 2023: When the future of Test cricket was being questioned and the longest format was being called a dying discipline, the ENG vs AUS series came out of nowhere and reignited the oldest rivalry of the game. The effect of the ongoing Ashes has been such that it has spilled beyond the playing field and issues have become political. After the hostile 2nd Ashes Test match, England PM Rishi Sunak and Australian PM Anthony Albanese indulged in banter that certainly was not friendly, not by any means. The term 'Bazball' became a phenomenon in the cricketing world but right now, the Australians have given the new-look English side a heavy beating and are the favourites to win yet another Ashes title.

3 things you need to know

• Australia are the defending champions of the Ashes
• Pat Cummins and Co. won the 2021-22 Ashes by a margin of 4-0
• The Australian team are currently 2-0 up in the series

Bazball takes a heavy beating

As kiddish as it may sound, English skipper Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum went out all guns blazing before the start of the series and promised to make Ashes 2023 entertaining for everyone, but little did they know that their aggressive template will lead to their downfall. It was a sheer display of overconfidence from the English outfit when they decided to declare their 1st innings in the first Ashes Test match while they were on 393/8. This surprise declaration from Stokes invited huge criticism but England were firm and showed an ample amount of confidence in their plans. This had a ripple effect of the second innings and Australia somehow managed to clinch a thriller with skipper Pat Cummins leading them from the front. As far as the Lord's Test is concerned, England put Australia to bat after winning the toss, supporting the claims of chasing down totals in the 4th innings with ease, but little did they know, that they will be peppered with hostile short bowling which eventually led to their downfall. For the first time since the initiation of Bazball, England are under the pump and they now need to win 3 matches in a row to get their hands on the coveted urn.

READ MORE: Pat Cummins Exposes Jonny Bairstow's Hypocrisy While Replying To Stokes' Fiery Criticism

Ashes 2023 rivalry takes a political turn

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The English media has always been brutal with their criticism and they straightaway labelled the Aussies as cheats after the Jonny Bairstow-Alex Carey fiasco. The English team also found support in Rishi Sunak who supported Stokes' claim of Australia degrading the 'Spirit of the Game'. Australian PM Anthony Albanese was quick to respond and he was extremely vocal about how the Australians have a habit of winning and have made the nation proud. A lot has been spoken about how Test cricket is headed towards a slow death, but this series is certainly set for a dramatic narrative and looks well in control to surpass the legendary Ashes series of 2005.