India vs. England: Rahul Dravid Urges Adaptive Batting Approach Ahead of Bazball Challenge

Coaches discussing batting strategies are often heard before to Test series. Certain people insist that they demonstrate their intentions. Some encourage their athletes to be aggressive. There are times when people are advised to take risks. Additionally, there is the Bazball method as a whole, which has even been included in the Collins lexicon. The batting squad received a straightforward advice from India head coach Rahul Dravid as they prepared to take on the Bazball challenge at home beginning on Thursday: adapt to the circumstances.

Other teams have been asked whether they would be tempted to use a similar strategy ever since Bazball swept the Test cricket world by storm. Taking an aggressive stance with the bat has helped batsmen avoid prison time as India prepares to roll out turners, when a ball with your name on it will inevitably come at any moment. Actually, Rohit Sharma's century in the first innings of the second Test match in Chennai changed the course of events when England last visited India.

But according to Dravid, India has no set blueprint, particularly when it comes to playing an aggressive style of football. The majority of our players are attackers by nature. The last captain of India to win a Test series in England, Shiv Patil, said, "I don't think we are going out there to try to be ultra-attacking."

We, in my opinion, tend to play the cards that are dealt to us—that is, what the circumstances require. Those who are inherently optimistic and eager to take on challenges are prevalent among our top six-seven batters. They thus have no intention of attempting to alter it in any manner. There will be a variety of circumstances where we would need to seek for ways to advance the game or bat for extended lengths of time. We'll merely react to what is presented to us. Although Virat Kohli would miss the first two Tests, Dravid said, "I can't see any of my batsmen looking to be defensive or taking a backward step."

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Teams, including India, have gone into a shell when they have retreated on twisting courses. Additionally, teams have found themselves in serious problems on such fields when wickets fall in bunches, which is why some batters would rather counterattack their way out of trouble.

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The one and only victory Australia had against all the odds during the last home Test series came from a counterattack at Indore against Indian spinners. Travis Head made it easy by hammering a 53-ball 49 with six fours in the fourth inning chase. England could be referring to such hits rather than slogging when they say "bazooka." More significantly, however, Head's aggressive knock of 163, particularly the undefeated 146 of 156 deliveries on Day 1 despite arriving to Australia situated at 76/3, dealt Australia's first blows during the WTC final at the Oval. These kinds of blows to turners have the potential to be almost fatal.

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And in 2012, when England last triumphed in this Test series, it was Kevin Pietersen's counterattacking 186 at Mumbai that turned the tide, and the hosts were unable to stop the decline after that.

England may possibly study Australia's March 2017 Indore pattern. With a five-for from rookie left-arm spinner Matthew Kuhnemann, the Indians were bowled out for 109. Australia had taken an 88-run lead before Nathan Lyon claimed eight wickets to send India out for yet another low total.

India's bowlers would undoubtedly be put to the test by an English bowler, even if they may not take a very aggressive approach. Even though they have been playing excellent cricket, we are aware that these circumstances would provide challenges for them as well. These are situations that we are well familiar with and where we have gained expertise in launching attacks. It is something that everyone is eager to see. I am eager to see our guys' response. They react well under pressure," Dravid said.

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