wattUnder Zach Crowley, the ball is always Buzz’s court. His initial selection, with an average of 31, was a classic of the genre, although it was made while Ed Smith was wearing a light blue shirt during his tenure as England national selector. His first Test century – 267 against Pakistan in the eighth Test – was filled with carefree, glorious batting, but also with exciting risks. His subsequent England career was full of ups and downs, and it wasn’t just his dabbling in the Wainwright family that excited audiences.
His game in Visakhapatnam could not have been better designed and divided England fans as they reflected on the situation over breakfast on a gray February morning. No one can deny that it was awesome that he scored 76 in just over a minute. He put his long legs and arms to the best of his ability – overpowering Ravichandran Ashwin and defeating Jasprit Bumrah in the early stages.
On No. 17, he was dropped by Shubman Gill at short mid-off from Ashwin – whose catch would have been magnificent – and the next receiver Continuing the attack on Bumrah, he bowled him for four with soft hands and perfect timing.
He continued in stride, sweeping a tough six off Kuldeep Yadav to reach his fifty, a catch outside off stump, enjoying the ACA-VDCA comparison Small borders. Before the drinks were served, Ashwin had a few more courtesy dismissals, a cover break from midfield and a brilliant back-foot break. England were sailing through just past five when a furious-looking Rohit Sharma beckoned to Axar Patel for his first over of the day.
Crawley danced on his second delivery and slapped the ball through mid-wicket to counter the spin. He tried to repeat the shot in the next ball but was given a nasty lead and was caught by Shreyas Iyer who sprinted back from the point and collected in a dive. The Toffees’ innings ended prematurely and England were in trouble from then on. When Bumrah started swinging in reverse, a seemingly solid 114 soon turned into an almost uncontestable 159 for five.
Crawley was adamant when asked if he regretted being fired or if it was just the way he played. “Definitely the second one. If I start doubting myself in situations like this and not backing up my instincts, then I’m going back to the player I was a few years ago and not scoring a lot for my team.
“I’m happy that I’m more aggressive now, which helps with stability. I wasn’t happy when I left, but I’m definitely going to do the same thing. If the guy doesn’t turn around, I’ll hit him The first six punches, then he’s suddenly under a lot of pressure and I can milk him for two hours or whatever. There’s risk and reward there.
“I’ve done it before and I’ve succeeded, but it didn’t work out today. I’m very disappointed in myself, especially when the wickets fell. But I’ll keep telling myself to back up my aggressive game because that’s what I’m here for. The reason for being here.”
Crawley’s 2021 tour of India was not a huge success. He missed the first two Tests after walking out of the Chennai dressing room in spikes and slipping on the marble floor. England quickly put down the towel, but it was too late for Crawley, who sprained his wrist. He played the third and fourth Tests in Ahmedabad, scoring fifty, but otherwise fell to single digits.
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“I’ve never experienced anything like playing in India,” he said later. “At that time, I felt that ten was already a good result.”
The spikes slipped off the day before his 23rd birthday. Saturday is his 26th birthday, and while his overall numbers won’t wow the passing statistics, his form has improved since he punched Pat Cummins through on the first ball of the Ashes series. It’s already very satisfying.
Did Crawley open the door to England’s collapse? On a basic level, yes, but to blame him would be to take away one of the sublime magic of Bumrah’s fast bowling, whose smart and clinical finishing included a great dismissal. His yorker, Ollie Pope, left the batsmen cut to pieces, stumps and bumpers exploding on either side of his upturned rump. There was nothing anyone, including Crowley, could do about it.
