Geoffrey Boycott has accused England of ‘losing the plot’ after they lost the second Test match of the series against India and stated that they ‘gave the match away’ by being too attacking.

England were tasked with chasing a record total of 399 in Visakhapatnam, and were eventually bowled out for 292. The result means the series is level at 1-1 going into the third Test next week. England’s run rate in the fourth innings was 4.12 and several batters were out playing aggressive shots. Joe Root’s innings stuck out in particular after he scored a frenetic 16 off ten balls and was out attempting a big shot.

Writing in his column for The Telegraph, Boycott said: “Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes are besotted with attack, attack, attack. It’s as if they say ‘if we can’t win, we will go down in glorious failure instead.’ But there is no glory in failure or defeat. Bazball is great entertainment when it comes off. But once you believe in an ideal over substance then you have lost the plot. Today England gave the match away. Bazball was a failure.

“Bazball cost Joe Root his wicket. As soon as he came in he was dancing down the pitch trying to hit over the top and very soon swiped it up in the air. He only scored 16. England’s best technical batsman is normally a busy player who scores at a good rate but trying to go after the bowling as soon as he comes in takes him out of his comfort zone.”

Root has scored 52 runs across four innings over the tour so far, and hasn’t made a half-century in India in his last 11 Test innings in the country. Zak Crawley was the only England batter to make more than 50 in England’s second innings, scoring 73 before he was trapped lbw by Kuldeep Yadav.

“Twenty20 cricket seems to have got in their head and made them think that every ball must be scored off with an aggressive stroke, sweep, swipe or cross batted shot,” wrote Boycott. “Twenty20 is cricket’s answer to baseball where you attempt a big hit every time. England’s batting resembled Twenty20.”

Despite the loss, the 292 runs England scored are the second-most of any touring side batting last in India, and the most in a losing cause. The Test match is the second that England have lost away from home under Stokes and McCullum, the first being in Wellington last year.

Boycott also referenced last year’s Ashes series as another example of England ‘giving away’ Test matches because of their style of play. England lost the first two Test matches of the series before winning the third and fifth matches, with a drawn fourth Test meaning Australia retained the Ashes.

“You would have thought England had learned from giving away the Ashes last summer,” wrote Boycott. “The ‘gung ho’ batting at Edgbaston and Lord’s gave two Tests matches away. Runs win Test matches, not style.

“Scoring at five an over was entertaining but too many batsmen gave their wickets away after good starts. The best way to achieve a total of nearly 400 is by one of the batsmen scoring a big hundred. Looking to go after good bowlers and score quickly comes with risk.”

The third Test of the series will take place in Rajkot, starting on February 15.

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