NEW DELHI: Former England skipper Michael Vaughan’s remark about India playing “Baseball” during the second Test against Bangladesh in Kanpur drew criticism and trolling on social media.
Vaughan sparked controversy online when he commented on India’s aggressive batting in the second Test against Bangladesh, noting, “I see India are playing Bazball.”
Vaughan’s comment, posted on X (formerly Twitter), referenced England’s ultra-aggressive approach under coach Brendon McCullum, dubbed “Bazball.”
However, his remark backfired, and he quickly found himself trolled by Indian fans who claimed India’s approach was more inspired by their own stars.
Vaughan made the comment after witnessing India’s aggressive batting approach on day four of the rain-affected match on Monday.
India bowled out Bangladesh for 233 in their first innings before racing to 138/2 in just 16 overs, displaying a T20-style batting approach.
They reached 50 runs in three overs and 100 in 10.1 overs, both the fastest by any team in Test cricket. The team, with their exceptional batting acumen, became the fastest to reach 200 and 250 runs.
This aggressive strategy aimed to force a result after more than two days of play were lost due to inclement weather.
Opener Yashasvi Jaiswal led India’s charge with a blistering 72 off 51 balls before being dismissed before the tea break. Virat Kohli (47) and KL Rahul (68) anchored the innings, propelling India’s total to 285/9 declared.
While Vaughan’s Bazball comment may have been meant as a compliment, Indian fans were quick to remind him that their nation has a long history of aggressive batting, citing Sehwag and Pant as pioneers of the style Vaughan seemed to credit to England.
One fan wrote on X, “BazBall is a copycat product of ViruBall and PantBall which was destroyed and finished by JaisBall in January 2024.”
Another quipped, “Yup, but the version where team playing BazBall wins”
