How Bazball bubble burst Down Under

CRICKET IS PLAYED on the field, not in the imagination of the contestants.

- Tushar Bhaduri

But it seems England’s Ashes plans were based more on hope and bravado than on pragmatic analysis.Calling Australia a ‘Dad’s Army’ would have felt good, as if youth is a guarantee of success. Then when several players of the first-choice XI for the hosts dropped out due to injury, they would have thought they were halfway to regaining the urn

But as things stand, Australia are 2-0 up after less than six days of cricket, and though England winning the remaining three Tests to take the series is still mathematically possible, reality suddenly seems to have dawned on those who had felt Ben Stokes and his men simply had to turn up to get the job done.

Suddenly, the Bazball ship is full of holes. The emphasis on having a good time despite defeats is being interpreted as players and the coaching staff not caring enough.

Batsmen are now reckless and bowlers bite-less. And the less said about the fielding, the better.

Brendon McCullum’s stint as coach is said to have revolutionised the way England play Test cricket. They had won one of the previous 17 Tests before the New Zealander took over. But as the honeymoon period gave way to cold logic, it became obvious that 'style of play' and 'vibes' had taken precedence over results on the field.

If drawing home series against India and Australia - England's two most high-profile opponents - is the regime's biggest achievement, it suggests hyperbole and performance had not gone hand in hand. England had not won a Test Down Under since 2010-11, losing 13 of 15 matches before the start of the current tour, so it was never going to be a cakewalk, irrespective of the quality of the Australian squad. But things always look better through rose-tinted glasses.