Ongoing India vs England five-match Test series may be on the verge of being mentioned in the same breath as that of the iconic 2005 Ashes – already regarded as the greatest series since the start of the millennium. Although drawing a comparison here wouldn’t do justice to either, considering what India and England have to offer with two Tests remaining might excite any cricket fan.

From Glenn McGrath picking his 500th Test wicket in the first game at Lord’s to Kevin Pietersen emerging as the most brutal force in world cricket with his exploits throughout, the fans were treated with one heck of a cricket series in 2005. Fast forward 19 years, something similar has occurred on the Indian shores, with Ravi Ashwin doing a McGrath while a young Yashasvi Jaiswal happily pulling off a Kevin Pietersen.

Ashwin’s 500th Test scalp made headlines all over as he joined an elite list of cricketers accomplishing this unbelievable milestone, becoming the second Indian after veteran Anil Kumble (619) and third off-spinner after Muttiah Muralitharan (800) and Nathan Lyon (517*) to get there.

ALSO READ | ‘Want to ask him why I was dropped…’: Just-retired Manoj Tiwary questions MS Dhoni for Team India snub

On the other hand, Yashasvi Jaiswal is doing what Indian fans have been deprived of watching since the retirement of Virender Sehwag – smashing hundreds for fun at the top. Though Virat Kohli’s presence would have made the contest exciting, Jaiswal’s fireworks are already creating a buzz in his absence.

‘Bazball has been done before’

Sports come with funny yet relatable narratives, and England’s ultra-attacking approach, which their media introduced the world to as Bazball, is an example of that.

Although no one has anything to take away from the excitement it brought to Test cricket, pulling the fans back to watch the most iconic format in all of sports, Bazball being referred to as something that is been executed for the first time is funny in a lot of ways.

From the legendary Viv Richards to Sanath Jayasuriya to even Sehwag, several players were known to put their foot on the paddles from the word go, with ones to come afterwards following the same approach in most cases. For example, Adam Gilchrist from Australia and Andrew Flintoff from England both took on the opposition from ball one, even during the 2005 Ashes.

‘Know the mistake, rectify the mistake’

While England’s win in the first match in Hyderabad had a lot to do with their carefree approach, which rightly deserves credit for the result, it backfired in the next two games, with England going down embarrassingly in both. A 106-run loss in Vizag might have pinched them a bit, but a 434-run thrashing seemed to be the straw that broke the camel’s back.

For the record, it looks ugly, but England probably know where they lost the game. 

THAT Joe Root dismissal is talked about as the sole reason behind England losing momentum and losing the match from the position from where they could have made merry. However, England coach Brendon McCullum backs Root to play the way he wants, arguing an improved Root can still turn the tables around for the visitors.

“I think he’s averaged about 50 with that shot [previously 60, now 30], plus what’s happened after he’s played that shot previously. He’s got out twice doing it. You can get nicked off defending one or trying to drive one through the leg side. I don’t know if it is as high-risk shot in the modern game as what it appears in the previous game,” McCullum said while defending Root’s reverse-sweep shot to Bumrah that led to his fall. 

‘It’s not over yet’

While the 2005 Ashes result read England beating Australia at home for the first time in over 18 years, this contest in India is far from being over. 

India surely leads the five-match series 2-1 as things stand, but discounting the high-flying England Team, who entered this series with the tag of a ‘daunting touring side’, would be the biggest mistake the hosts could make, like somewhere what Australia did in 2005 by underestimating England. 

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes sounded optimistic about his side turning the tables around despite trailing 1-2, saying they have a great chance of snatching the win from India in their home conditions. 

“We know that things don’t always work out exactly how you want it to, but at 2-1 down in the series; still got two games left, so we’ve got a great chance to come home with the trophy at 3-2,” Stokes told media after Rajkot thrashing. 

Come the fourth and the fifth Test in Ranchi and Dharamsala, respectively, the real action is about to begin. 

So fans, gear up because this contest is far from over, like how it was during the ’05 Ashes. 

You can now write for Baazigarnews.com and be a part of the Baazigar family. Share your stories and opinions with us here.