The infamous word 'Bazball' has entered the Collins dictionary as it was widely used. The word was meant as a daring and risk-taking approach by England's Test team. The term was coined after former New Zealand captain and current England Test team head coach, Brendon McCullum.

Also Read: What is Bazball? 5 things to know about the concept that has taken England cricket by storm

The word was described as "A Test cricket style characterized by an assertive and aggressive batting approach." It will be featured in the upcoming print edition of the dictionary in 2024. Meanwhile, the Brendon McCullum-inspired word has already been included in the online version of the renowned publication.

Interestingly, following McCullum's appointment as England's coach, the use of the term ' Bazball' increased nearly 400 percent between 2022 and 2023. Moreover, it was during the Ashes 2023 series, when England overcame a 2-0 deficit to earn an exciting 2-2 draw against the arch-rivals, Australia. Besides, Harper Collins revealed that the term became one of the top 10 new words of 2023. 

The word is now frequently employed to characterize a daring, risk-taking approach in other fields as well. The UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's political tactics too have been called a "political Bazball. Besides, England football manager Gareth Southgate had earlier stated that he was inspired by the test team's approach. Meanwhile, Helen Newstead, language data consultant for Collins Dictionaries, stated that 'Bazball' was probably the most significant new word to emerge from the world of sport this year.

Publishers HarperCollins stated that "the excitement of this summer's Ashes series had many people talking about Bazball".

Also Read: Brendon McCullum finds all 'Bazball' talk silly

Explaining the process of adding new words to their dictionary, they said, "The lexicographers at Collins Dictionary monitor the 20-billion-word Collins Corpus which draws from a range of media sources, including social media, to create the annual list of new and notable words that reflect our ever-evolving language and the preoccupations of those who use it."

However, McCullum said last summer, "I don't have any idea what "Bazball" is. I don't really like that silly term that people are throwing out there."

The 22-year-old left-handed batter Yashasvi Jaiswal hit 12 sixes to occupy the top spot alongside Wasim Akram in the list of most sixes in a test inning. Jaiswal became only the second batter to hit more than 11 sixes in a test match, achieving the feat during his second double-century in the third test match against England.

Yashasvi fearlessly dealt in sixes and boundaries and dominated the English bowlers to bring up the feat in only 231 deliveries. After retiring hurt on 104 on day 3, Jaiswal returned to the bat after the fall of the third wicket.

He reached his double hundred comfortably, and on his way to achieving the feat, the 22-year-old slammed 12 sixes, equaling Wasim Akram at the top. The left-handed batter became the first Indian to convert the first three hundreds of his career to 150-plus scores.

Also Read: INDvsENG 3rd Test: Yashasvi Jaiswal scores his second double-hundred; Sarfaraz hits back-to-back half-centuries

Wasim Akram achieved the feat when he played a sensational knock of 257 in 363 deliveries against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura in the 1996/97 test series. He held the world record of hitting the highest number of sixes in a test inning for the last 27 years until Yashasvi Jaiswal finally equaled it against England. Wasim Akram and Yashasvi Jaiswal followed by legendary names like Nathan Astle, Matthew Hayden, and Brendon McCullum on the list.

New Zealand's Nathan Astle scored a double century in only 153 balls. His knock of 222 off 168 balls came in the second inning of the match as New Zealand was set a target of 550 runs. Astle registered 28 boundaries and 11 sixes in his inning.

Also Read: Most International Hundreds among Active Players

The Australian legendary batter Matthew Hayden scored 380 runs during a test match against Zimbabwe at the Perth WACA ground in the 2003/04 season including an astonishing 11 sixes.

The former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum comes on the list with two innings featuring 11 sixes each. Firstly, against Pakistan in Sharjah during the 2014/15 season, where he scored 202 runs, and then against Sri Lanka in Christchurch during the same season, where he scored 195 runs.

Most sixes in a Test innings

England's batting approach in Test cricket has changed under Brendon McCullum. Irrespective of the outcome, his team won't deviate from its aggressive tactics against India in the five-Test series, where most tracks will offer substantial turn.

The word was described as "A Test cricket style characterized by an assertive and aggressive batting approach." It will be featured in the upcoming print edition of the dictionary in 2024. Meanwhile, the Brendon McCullum-inspired word has already been included in the online version of the renowned publication.

Also Read: IPL 2024 mini-auction to be held in Dubai on December 19: Everything you need to know

Interestingly, following McCullum's appointment as England's coach, the use of the term ' Bazball' increased nearly 400 percent between 2022 and 2023. Moreover, it was during the Ashes 2023 series, when England overcame a 2-0 deficit to earn an exciting 2-2 draw against the arch-rivals, Australia. Besides, Harper Collins revealed that the term became one of the top 10 new words of 2023. 

"We have got a huge challenge against a very good Indian team in five Tests in India," McCullum said at the Royal Challengers Bangalore Innovation Lab's Leaders Meet India.

"I am excited about it because you want to test yourself against the best side and I genuinely believe that India is the best in their condition. It is going to be a good challenge for us. If we have success then fabulous, if we don't, then I know we will go down in the style that we want to go down," McCullum said.

"We are playing the game, because we love cricket and we want to try and be as good at cricket as we possibly can. During the time that you are in the chair, you want to make sure you enjoy it and you shouldn't wait till the end of your career to do so. We are very lucky to have had some immediate success but I don't think it is the ceiling for us," He added.

Australia's dramatic two-wicket win in the first Ashes Test at Edgbaston on Tuesday ensured a hugely-anticipated series got off to a thrilling start as skipper Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon's unbroken stand of 55 turned the tables on England. England were running away with the match but the Aussies showed their mentality and also proved why they are the ICC 2021-23 World Test Championship winners.

Read Also: Asia Cup Winners List from 1984 to 2022

1st Ashes Test: Khawaja & Lyon the game changers for Australia

Much of the talk before this series was about how World Test champions Australia would face England's aggressive 'Bazball' style. They did it in Birmingham by staying true to their own game. No one more so than Usman Khawaja, who spent over 13 hours at the crease while compiling scores of 141, his first Ashes hundred in England, and a mature inning of 65. He also created history in the Ashes. The Australian opener became the first Aussie since 1980 to bat on all five days of a Test match. This remarkable feat holds by only 13 players in Test cricket's rich history.

"He showed composure in both innings, playing at his own pace, playing his own method. He didn't get caught up in anything else," said Cummins of the left-handed opener.

Wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow, despite making a run-a-ball 78 in England's first innings, also dropped a few catches and missed a stumping after the hosts decided to omit Ben Foakes, arguably a better gloveman, but not as good a batsman. Meanwhile, Australia's Alex Carey had an excellent match behind the stumps and also made useful runs.

Lyon's batting heroics may be the headline act from his performance at Edgbaston, but by then he had already starred in his primary role of off-spinner with a match haul of 8-229. He may have conceded more runs than he would have liked but Lyon picked up some crucial wickets. Lyon was appearing in his 99th consecutive match at this level and ended the game just five shy of 500 Test wickets.

Into the final hour of Day 1 of the first Ashes Test, Joe Root smashed Nathan Lyon for two huge sixes. The former England captain had just reached his 30th Test century which played a pivotal role in the team's recovery against newly-crowned WTC winners Australia in Birmingham to 393 for eight. There was a sense of freedom in his batting. And despite having a tail-end batter in Ollie Robinson at the other end, Root continued his dominance on that flat Edgbaston wicket. England could add more runs to add pressure on Australia but England captain Ben Stokes had other plans. He left the world cricket in sheer disbelief and decided to declare the innings with 10 more overs scheduled for the day. The tactic drew mixed reactions from veteran cricketers. Everyone said that's Bazball - the word that has taken England cricket by storm. But what is Bazball?

Read Also: Most centuries in the Ashes

The Bazball Concept

Origin:

The name was first suggested by ESPNCricinfo journalist Andrew Miller after former New Zealand cricketer Brendon McCullum was appointed as the head coach in May last year. 'Baz' hence comes from the long-standing nickname for McCullum during his playing days, who himself was known for his aggressive brand of cricket.

But Bazball is not just about aggression or is a strategy that England follows. It is an approach that comes with a mindset that probably Jonny Bairstow best described as "freedom".

Faster scoring rates:

One of the scorecards to highlight this aspect is the Rawalpindi Test against Pakistan last December when England scored 506 runs for four wickets on Day 1 of the match with three batters - Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Harry Brook. It was the most runs scored by any team on the first day of a match in the history of Test cricket. And the scoring rate of 6.75 was the best ever as well. In fact, since the appointment of McCullum, England's strike rate of 77.06 is the highest during the period. And this fast-paced batting has resulted in batters going for unorthodox shots as well like Root executing the reverse ramp almost in each of his innings.

Aggressive fields and bowling changes: 

Former England captain Michael Atherton highlighted this aspect on Day 2 of the 1st Ashes Test when he was comparing Stokes with his Aussie counterpart in Pat Cummins. He said: "Every field change, every bowling change from Stokes is about how to get a wicket. Every change from Cummins yesterday was about how to stop runs. It's a fundamental shift."

On Saturday, when Stokes dismissed Steve Smith, it was the decisive moment in the match. But it was Travis Head's dismissal that drew more attention. Not for the manner of the dismissal, but for the aggressive captaincy of Stokes, who was willing to leak runs to get that wicket. He used Moeen Ali, who conceded seven boundaries by the batter, to get that wicket. Most skippers would not have gone for that sort of bold decision who had conceded 45 runs in his first six overs. Stokes brought the mid-on and mid-off up to trap Head into attacking Moeen again, but this time he fell into the trap.

Taking draw out of the equation:

The Birmingham Test is not the first instance of Stokes' brave declaration call. At the Oval earlier in February this year, in a Day/Night Test, England declared their first innings in the final hour of Day 1 given that the conditions for bowling are better in that hour. New Zealand eventually went three down at stumps. Atherton had later described it as proof of Stokes' "reputation as a captain unwilling to let the game stagnate or drift".

This aggressive approach has also made England among the best chasing sides. A glimpse of this was seen in Nottingham last year when the team scripted a record run chase against New Zealand. Stokes was later quoted as saying "The message just was run into the fear of what the game was rather than stand still or back away from it…I'll say it quite simply: we were either winning this game or losing it. That was the mentality that we wanted all the batsmen coming in to have…It's obviously paid off. When you have the backing of the coach and captain, it rubs off on the players in a very positive way. So you're not fearing failure. You're just going out and doing what you want to do."

Critics:

Earlier this year, veteran Indian bowler Ravichandran Ashwin criticised Bazball saying that it might not suit all conditions. He explained: "Certain types of wickets when you try and attack every ball, you will falter. There are both advantages and disadvantages to this approach. Sometimes, on the wicket, you need to respect the conditions."

Australia's Steve Smith too questioned the longevity of the approach and whether it is sustainable for green-top tracks with the likes of "Josh Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc are rolling in at you."

The Indian Premier League, popularly known as IPL, is one of the richest sporting leagues in the world. Since its inception in 2008, IPL has given India many of its current stars. Over the years, many overseas players have also become household names in India based on their performances in the IPL. In this article, we will take a look at the top 10 overseas players with the most runs in IPL history.

Most Runs in IPL by Overseas Players:

1. David Warner | 6564 Runs

David Warner, the one-time IPL champion with Sunrisers Hyderabad, is the most decorated overseas batter in the league's history. He has scored 6564 runs in 183 matches at an average of 40.77, with a strike rate of 139.80. The Australian batter also scored four centuries and 62 fifties, with the best score of 126. He won the Orange Cap twice in 2014 (562 runs) and 2019 (692 runs).

Also Read: Top 10 batters who scored most runs in a single IPL season

2. AB de Villiers | 5162 Runs

AB de Villiers, the South African legend, is the second-highest-run-scorer among the overseas players in IPL history. ABD, who last represented RCB in 2021, also played for Delhi Daredevils (Delhi Capitals) and the Royal Challengers Bangalore in the IPL. In 184 matches, he scored 5,162 runs at an average of 39.70, with a strike rate of 151.69. He scored three centuries and 40 fifties in his IPL career, but could never win a trophy with any team. 

3. Chris Gayle | 4965 Runs

Chris Gayle, the West Indies legend, holds the third position in the list of overseas players with the most runs in IPL. He had a highly successful stint with RCB and great stints with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Gayle entertained millions by scoring 4,965 runs in 142 matches and 141 innings at an average of 39.72 and a strike rate of 148.96. He also scored six centuries and 31 fifties with the best score of 175* (the highest individual score in IPL history). The power hitter also secured two Orange Caps in 2011 (608 runs) and 2012 (733 runs).

Read Also: IPL Man of The Tournament award winners from 2008 to 2023

4. Faf du Plessis | 4421 Runs

Faf du Plessis, the current RCB captain, comes at the fourth position in the list of the overseas players with the most runs in IPL. The South African batsman has won three IPL titles with Chennai Super Kings. In 134 IPL matches, he has scored 4421 runs at an average of 36.23, with a strike rate of over 135.53. He has scored 33 fifties, with the best score of 96. 

5. Shane Watson | 3874 Runs

Shane Watson's decorated IPL career includes stints with Rajasthan Royals, Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Chennai Super Kings. He has scored 3,874 runs in 145 IPL matches at an average of 30.99 and with a strike rate of 137.91. The former Australian all-rounder smashed 4 centuries and 21 half-centuries. He played his last IPL season in 2020 for Chennai Super Kings.

6. Jos Buttler | 3542 Runs

Jos Buttler, a one-time IPL champion with Mumbai Indians, made his IPL debut only in 2016 and has made an unbelievable impact since then. He played 104 IPL matches and scored 3542 runs in 105 matches and 104 innings at an average of 38.50 and a strike rate of 148.44. Buttler has smashed seven tons and 19 fifties in his IPL career so far. His best score is 124. The England batter is currently playing for Rajasthan Royals.

7. Kieron Pollard | 3412 Runs

Kieron Pollard, the Mumbai Indians (MI) star from start to finish of his IPL career, played a crucial role in the side's 5 IPL titles. He scored 3,412 runs at an average of 28.67 and a strike rate of 147.32, including 16 half-centuries. Pollard has also picked up 69 wickets.

Also Read: Top 10 players who have taken most singles in IPL history

8. Quinton de Kock | 3143 Runs

Quinton de Kock became the 8th overseas batter with the most runs in IPL. The South Africa wicketkeeper-batter has played for Mumbai Indians since 2019 and is currently playing for the Lucknow Super Giants team. De Kock has scored a total of 3143 runs in 105 matches in the IPL, with an average of 31.74 and a strike rate of 134.37. He smashed two centuries and 23 half-centuries. De Kock has had three 500-plus seasons in the IPL, two of which came for Mumbai during his memorable stint at the top with Rohit Sharma. 

9. Brendon McCullum | 2880 Runs

Brendon McCullum played for four teams in the IPL - Kolkata Knight Riders, Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Chennai Super Kings, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. He retired from the IPL following the 2018 season, during which he played for Royal Challengers Bengaluru(RCB). McCullum ended his IPL career with 2,880 runs across 109 IPL games at an average of 27.69. His strike rate reads 131.75. The tally includes 13 fifties besides two tons.

10. David Miller | 2878 Runs

David Miller, christened Killer Miller by his fans, made his IPL debut in 2013 for Kings XI Punjab and scored the third-fastest IPL century with a score of 101* in just 38 balls. The South African middle-order batsman played for Kings XI Punjab for eight seasons before moving to Rajasthan Royals in 2020. He is currently playing for the Gujarat Titans team. Miller has scored a total of 2878 runs in 128 matches in the IPL, with an average of 35.97 and a strike rate of 139.10.