England, faced with the challenge of chasing runs in the Brisbane Test, had no choice but to abandon aggressive “Bazball” tactics and revert to traditional, old-fashioned Test cricket. On the fourth day of the match, England began their second innings at 134 for 6, still needing 43 runs merely to avoid an innings defeat.
In this situation, attempting an aggressive approach would have risked a complete collapse. The decision to play in a composed, defensive style—reminiscent of the methodical Royes era—helped them survive the session and preserve their innings.
The seventh-wicket partnership between captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks proved crucial. In the opening session, England did not lose a wicket, with this duo compiling 60 runs from 165 balls. By the end of the session, England’s score reached 193 for 6, extending their lead marginally to 16 runs.
Despite some slow deliveries on the fourth-day pitch, Stokes and Jacks showed no signs of vulnerability in the morning. Australia’s bowlers, including Mitchell Starc and Pat Boland, were unable to make any significant breakthroughs. Stokes remained unbeaten on 36 from 112 balls, while Jacks scored 25 from 66 balls.
England’s second innings so far has been far less attacking than in previous encounters. In the first 25 overs, they managed 115 runs, but the number of aggressive strokes was minimal. Only 22.5% of deliveries faced by English batsmen were met with attacking shots, the lowest rate since the Bazball era began.
Although England’s approach in the first session was cautious, the match remains firmly in Australia’s control. To turn the game around, both Stokes and Jacks will need to play extended, high-impact innings. The pressure is now on the English duo to perform if their team hopes to salvage the Test.
Brief Score:
England: 334 & 193/6 in 59 overs (Crawley 44, Stokes 36*; Neser 2/32, Boland 2/47, Starc 2/57)
Australia 1st Innings: 511 in 117.3 overs (Starc 77, Weatherald 72, Labuschagne 65, Carey 63, Smith 61, Green 45; Curran 4/152, Stokes 3/113)