Mike Atherton Trolled Ricky Ponting From The Commentary Box: England captain Ben Stokes continues to make decisions that leave fans and commentators in surprise. The latest of which was giving part-timing medium-pacer Harry Brook the 15th over of Australia’s first innings in the ongoing first Ashes Test at Edgbaston.
England had started Day 2 of the Edgbaston Test on a rollicking note as Stuart Broad dismissed David Warner – for the 15th time in Test cricket- and world number 1 ranked Test batsman Marnus Labuschange on consecutive balls in the 11th over of Australia’s innings.
Broad and Anderson had started the day with the ball with Ollie Robinson and Ben Stokes likely to follow them.
However, surprising everyone, when it came to making the first bowling change of the day 2, Ben Stokes handed the ball to Harry Brook for the 15th over of Australia’s innings to bowl to Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith.
Michael Atherton gives a savage response to Ricky Ponting over Harry Brook as bowling change:
This decision from the England skipper shocked the viewers, not least the commentators as well. Ricky Ponting was befuddled with this bowling choice of Ben Stokes. Because Brook had bowled just once in Test cricket, though he got a wicket to his name, and is a genuine part-timer.
In the commentary box, Ponting couldn’t believe it and yelped “What is going on here?”
To this, former England skipper Michael Atherton had a savage reply: “This is Bazball!”
Bazball has taken over the fever in Test cricket with the Ashes 2023 being the first big challenge for the England Test team. Fans and ex-cricketers are anticipatorily waiting to see whether the Bazball approach works against the likes of Australia, or do Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum and their team meet their match.
Day 1 of the Edgbaston Test was filled with entertainment as England, riding on century from Joe Root and fifties from Zak Crawley and Jonny Bairstow, score 393/8 in 78 overs. Just when everyone was thinking that Root and England will want to get to over 450, Stokes declared the innings.