Much like a fine wine, something England Test coach Brendon McCullum is known to be partial to a drop of, Bazball appears to be improving with age.

Those hedonistic early days were a joy to watch as England turned Test cricket on its head – and their own red-ball fortunes around – with an ultra-aggressive mindset.

New Zealand beaten. India beaten. South Africa beaten. Pakistan beaten. New Zealand beaten again. One win in 17 pre-Bazball became 10 in 11 after its adoption. A sea of sixes and success after success.

But then came the missteps as aggression tipped over into recklessness and the victories dried up. Golden opportunities against Australia and India were wasted.

England crumbled from 188-1 in the Lord’s Ashes Test as they regularly took on – and regularly got out to – the short ball, a ploy Australia had only gone to as a last resort with wickets evading them and star spinner Nathan Lyon off the field injured.

Then, in India over the winter, Joe Root’s dismissal on the reverse scoop triggered a collapse of 8-95 in the third Test at Rajkot as 224-2 became 319 all out.

Add another blunder to the list.

England’s talk was also criticised with Ben Duckett replying “the more the better” when asked how many runs the tourists could realistically chase in Rajkot – a game they went on to lose by 434 runs, skittled for 122 having been set 557 to win.

After the 4-1 series defeat, the rhetoric changed. McCullum spoke of “refining” Bazball and that process appears to have taken place going on the first two Tests of the summer against West Indies.

England show ruthless side at Trent Bridge

England’s run rate in their sole innings at Lord’s was 4.12 – brisk but not bonkers – while they showed adaptability at Trent Bridge as they clinched a first series win since a 3-0 sweep in Pakistan in 2022.

The most notable example of them reining it in was on the third evening.

When Harry Brook and Root joined forces, England were three down in their second innings, only 99 runs ahead.

The sky was caked in cloud, the lights were on and the ball was moving around. Old Bazball may have reacted by going hard. Version 2.0 reacted by being smart.

Brook and Root added 108 runs in the remaining 23.4 overs, at a run rate of 4.50, keeping the scoreboard moving while at the same time paying due respect to conditions.

The Yorkshire duo completed centuries the next morning but, again, were not overly aggressive. The run-rate was around 4.50 once more as they put on a further 81 in 17.4 overs. It was only after reaching his ton that Root rolled out the scoop.

Sky Sports’ Stuart Broad said: “I thought England were ruthless on the fourth morning. Root, the least selfish batter you could want, has not got to the position he is in without assessing conditions.

“He thought, ‘this track is causing me no problems, the bowlers are into the fourth day and are going to be jaded, so I am not going to chase the game. I’m just going to play’.

“He accumulated in such a calm way. One to deep point, one to square leg, cover drive for four. He manoeuvred his way to such a calm hundred.

“Brook did it slightly differently as he has eye-catching boundary shots but it wasn’t the 10 out of 10, fifth-gear batting we have seen in the past.

“I think that will really please McCullum because, as while you want to drive the game forward and entertain, when you get the opportunity to really nail a team… that’s what Root and Brook did superbly.”

Reckless no more but still kinks to iron out

Broad’s fellow Sky Sports pundit Michael Atherton added: “I think we have seen a slightly more mature approach from England. They are still rattling along at a rapid rate for Test cricket but it hasn’t felt as chaotic.

“They have been criticised in the past for their gung-ho approach and words. Here they have been aggressive and on the front foot, but not reckless.”

Some of the old glitches with the bat were on display at Trent Bridge, though.

A few rash dismissals in the first innings prevented England scoring more than 416, not that it mattered in the end with West Indies ‘Shoaib Bashired’ on the fourth evening as they lost 10 wickets in a session.

In the second innings, Ollie Pope chose not to wait and see how a replacement ball would behave, instead driving the first delivery with it to gully to end his hopes of twin tons in the game.

There are still kinks to iron out, then, but this more polished iteration of Bazball is reaping rewards, albeit against not the strongest of opposition. West Indies are game but ever so inexperienced.

The tests will get harder. Probably in Pakistan and New Zealand over the winter, certainly at home to India next summer and then in Australia a few months later.

But for now McCullum can raise a glass, perhaps of fine wine, to the fact his side have swapped reckless for ruthless and become more refined. Bazball has grown up.

Watch day one of the third Test between England and West Indies, at Edgbaston, live on Sky Sports Cricket and Sky Sports Main Event from 10am on Friday (11am first ball).

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