England’s Resurgence in Test Cricket
Since Brendon McCullum was appointed head coach and Ben Stokes became the Test captain, England’s performance in red-ball cricket has significantly improved. The team has shifted to a more aggressive style, consistently challenging opponents and seeking to dominate. While this bold approach has sometimes led to setbacks, the ‘Bazball’ strategy—named after McCullum’s nickname—has provided entertaining cricket and, on the whole, successful results for the team.
Impressive Statistics
Under the Bazball philosophy, England has played 36 Test matches, achieving 23 wins, 12 losses, and just one draw. This reflects their determination to pursue victory at all costs. Furthermore, Stokes and his team have embraced a fearless style of play—posing the question: is England truly the most attacking side since the inception of Bazball?
Run Rate and Scoring Efficiency
England leads all Test teams with the highest scoring rate since adopting the Bazball approach in June 2022, boasting a run rate of 4.63 per over. This dwarfs the next best, Australia (3.59), and India (3.57). Additionally, the team has the highest average runs per wicket, scoring 36.12 runs per wicket, surpassing Australia’s 34.21 and Sri Lanka’s 33.37.
Record-Breaking Innings
In terms of individual innings, England achieved a remarkable score of 823/7 against Pakistan in October 2024, at an astounding run rate of 5.48. Sri Lanka’s 704/3 against Ireland stands as the second-highest score during this period.
Scoring Patterns
Despite their aggressive approach, Stokes’s team also recorded the lowest score of 112 across all Test-playing nations within the same timeframe, making them the only top team (alongside India, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) to fall below the 100 mark in a Test match.
Win-Loss Ratio
When it comes to the win-loss ratio, England stands at an impressive 1.916 since adopting the Bazball philosophy, only trailing Australia’s ratio of 2.500. While England has been a formidable force in white-ball cricket, their performance in the World Test Championship (WTC) has not matched the same success, failing to reach the finals in three cycles.
Looking Ahead
As the WTC cycle begins on June 20, Stokes aims to improve England’s WTC Final record from zero to one when they face a revamped Indian side in Leeds for the first of five Tests.
