'This Bazball is all bundlebaz' - Ex-India wicketkeeper slams England ahead of Day 4 in ENG vs IND 2025 3rd Test
Farokh Engineer blasts England’s Bazball and end-of-day time-wasting tactics, calling them ineffective and “not cricket” against strong teams like India.
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Former Indian wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer came down heavily on England’s Bazball approach ahead of Day 4 of the third Test at Lord’s, calling it a strategy that would never work against top-tier opposition. After suffering a crushing 336-run defeat in the second Test at Edgbaston, England took a surprisingly cautious route in their first innings at Lord’s, scoring 387 runs in 112.3 overs at a run rate below 3.50. The uncharacteristic shift from their usual aggressive play caught many off guard.
Speaking to RevSportz (via Hindustan Times), Engineer said, “This Bazball is all bundlebaz; they can do Bazball against Bangladesh, Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka. Against India, they cannot do that, and I have always said that in the past. I wish they had adopted Bazball; we would have won the series by now.” With India posting an identical 387 in reply, the match is now set up as a one-innings shootout, making Day 4 pivotal in the series-deciding third Test.
The outcome of the current contest will significantly influence the fate of the first-ever Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, with the series at 1-1, and how the two teams handle the pressure of the final two days at this historic venue.
“It’s Not ”Cricket”—Engineer Slams England's Time-Wasting Tactics
Farokh Engineer also didn’t hold back when discussing England's attempt to delay play at the end of Day 3. After bowling India out, England had about six minutes to bat but managed to stretch time and avoid facing more than one over. Zak Crawley, in particular, was seen deliberately slowing things down to prevent Jasprit Bumrah from bowling a second over.
“English people will call it professionalism, but I would call it cheating. Those were time-wasting tactics. They did not want to face another, which was very obvious. He could have been discreet about it, but he made it look so obvious. That wasn't very fair. But who knows? I don't think our batsmen would have done such a blatant thing. The headline is it's not cricket,” Engineer asserted. Despite India's frustration, Crawley’s delay worked, and England ended Day 3 at 2/0 with everything to play for.
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