Former England cricketer and Betfair Ambassador, Ian Bell, has backed the England side to retain their aggressive approach despite their loss to Australia in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Tuesday. Ben Stokes, who led England in the match, made some daring decisions including a premature declaration on day one. However, Bell believes England must stay loyal to their approach, which has been successful in recent times.
Bell allayed concerns about the England team’s performance in the first Test. He pointed out that a lack of game time caused rustiness for some players. Jonny Bairstow, who missed chances, hasn’t kept for ages, and his performance will no doubt improve with more time in the field. Bell also said that the bowlers, particularly James Anderson and Ollie Robinson, looked off their best, which was likely due to their previous injuries. Moving forward, Bell expects England to be in the ascendancy.
On the other hand, Bell believes Australia must rethink their negative tactics despite their win. He highlighted that the England team is likely to come back even harder in the second Test at Lord’s. Bell emphasized that the Australian team cannot afford to get complacent, but instead, they should make adjustments to their game plan.
Overall, Bell reinforced the fact that England must maintain their unyielding approach to the game to stand a chance of winning the Ashes. Meanwhile, the Australian team needs to reassess their strategy if they are to come out victorious in the upcoming Tests.
