New Delhi: Through their much-propagated ‘Bazball’, England are only following a batting approach that has been explored by the likes of Australia’s Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist in the past, says Sri Lanka head coach Sanath Jayasuriya.
Sri Lanka are set to face England in the first Test at Old Trafford from Wednesday where the home team would be without their injured skipper Ben Stokes.
Under coach Brendon McCulum and Stokes, England have earned a name for adopting a brisk approach while batting, with their openers setting up the tone through attacking knocks.
It has been termed ‘Bazball’, after McCullum’s nickname, which Sri Lanka need to counter, Jayasuriya said.
“You get various styles depending on the time. Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist did it too during our time. This is something similar to what we have had in the past. There has just been some media publicity that this is something new. They try to play attacking cricket from the outset, but the end goal is to get to those totals of 300 or 400,” the former opener told reporters before the first Test.
Jayasuriya himself was a dashing opener and a contemporary of Hayden and Gilchrist during his playing days. He said the Lankan players need to be cautious of England’s aggressive intent in the first 10 overs.
“It’s in the first ten overs that there will be the most pressure I think. If you look historically, they have been attacking in that first ten overs and getting runs on the board quickly. We have got some plans to counter that. And we know this is how they will play,” the former left handed batter added.
He stressed on the Lankan bowler to bowl in the right areas and be consistent with their line and length.
“We have to bowl in the right places, and if they hit the good balls, that’s okay. We need to identify the right lengths given the conditions. There will be times when we need to cover the areas of the field where they are attacking, to cut down the boundaries,” Jayasuriya said.
Sri Lanka are set to face England in the first Test at Old Trafford from Wednesday where the home team would be without their injured skipper Ben Stokes. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
