In the period before Ben Stokes and Brendon ‘Baz’ McCullum took over English cricket, the men’s test side had struggled for wins all around the world. From the moment the two Kiwi-born leaders took over, their fortunes changed, but why? And what exactly is ‘Bazball’?

Brendon McCullum is one of New Zealand’s greatest-ever cricketers, scoring their first-ever test triple-century and holding the record for fastest test century as well. He was known for his positive style and insistence on committing to positive cricket at all costs.

Baz was always willing to talk the talk and very often backed it up by walking the walk. This was never more true than the 2015 World Cup final where, in the first over against a fiery Mitchell Starc, he charged down the wicket and was bowled. The process was there and if it had worked, there was a real chance for a Kiwi win. But live by the sword, die by the sword.

Over the past decade, Stokes has shown himself to be one of the best all-rounders in cricketing history. With match-winning knocks in two World Cup finals and a legendary performance at Headingley in 2019. Never a man to take a backward step, there was always chemistry between him and his new coach.

Before the revolution started, England had traveled to the West Indies where they played turgid cricket and saw themselves lose to a team seemingly always in a crisis. Joe Root stepped down as captain and England were close to rock bottom as a test side.

Stokes’ first series in charge was against the then World Test Champions, New Zealand. A gritty team who knew how to win. England twice made a mockery of big, fourth innings chases, knocking off 299 in just 50 overs thanks to a Jonny Bairstow ton.

England followed up their demolition of the Kiwis with wins over India, South Africa and a historic 3-0 series win in Pakistan.

After Pakistan England traveled to New Zealand for a two-match series. After a comprehensive victory in the first game, England hubristically enforced the follow-on in game two and became only the fourth side to lose after doing so. A very winnable game was lost through an almost arrogant disregard for cricketing convention.

Test cricket is closing in on 150 years of history and despite minor changes at times, there has pretty much been a formula for how to win. That was until the Summer of 2022. England decided to ignore convention and play with freedom and aggression not previously seen.

Bazball has never just been about front-foot, aggressive cricket, it’s about having a degree of perspective about what cricket is. For so long the pressure of losing one’s wicket has been so intense it is at times crippling, if you’re able to remove that doubt, cricket suddenly becomes far easier.

First and foremost, cricket is about scoring runs, as many runs as you can, but especially, more than the opposition. So, why then, has the preservation of one’s wicket become the all-important facet of batting? That is the question England have dared to ask and the freedom which followed has certainly paid dividends for multiple batters.

Another aspect of Bazball is how Stokes and McCullum have taken the game back to it’s roots for their players. If everyone on their team is going to play the sport, they may as well enjoy it as they go, something often forgotten in professional sporting environments.

With the freedom to express and enjoy themselves, England started to perform as a group, but some individuals played beyond anything we had previously seen. Even the historically good Joe Root rose to new levels, encapsulating the Bazball era with numerous reverse ramps over the slips, whilst Jonny Bairstow stuck his hand up once again as a world-class batter.

After two tests of the 2023 Ashes, England found themselves 2-0 down to a very good Australian side, but after a win at Headingley and a rain-affected draw at Old Trafford, where does England go from here?

Bazball is often viewed as simply playing ultra-aggressive cricket with both bat and ball, an approach England embodied through the first two tests, almost to a fault. On both occasions they seemed to lose their heads, believe their own hype and play so aggressively it cost them matches. In Headingley and Old Trafford we saw a more thoughtful approach.

England knew they needed to win at Headingley to keep the series alive, which perhaps forced their hand somewhat. England played a style more akin to the 2022 vintage of Bazball, picking their moments to attack, but willing to slow the game down at times as well. Ultimately they outplayed Australia, just, and took home a much needed win.

Australia were dancing a collective rain dance as the fourth Ashes test entered its final day with only rain giving them a realistic chance to save the game. England had played near-perfect cricket and were unlucky not to get the win. Again, they showed more caution at times, choosing their moments to be ultra-aggressive and steadily wearing down a shell-shocked Aussie side.

The Ashes are once again in the hands of Australia, so where does this leave England? Overall they have at least matched Australia in this series, but have been undone by mistakes in the big moments. It has shown that their approach can work, but not every time, and against a very good Aussie team, they haven't quite been good enough so far.

The remarkable thing about this England side is their refusal to admit mistakes. Every step of the way they have refused to back down from their style of play and their decision-making. Leading Guardian cricket write Barney Ronay to call it Bazball, " a cult of bruised masculinity where you win even if you lose"

Many English fans will be frustrated by the results of the first two tests and start to point the finger at the Bazball tactics, but ultimately the failures were no more severe than that of the 2019 series, or the 21/22 Ashes in Australia. If anything their tactics have given them a sniff against a side far more competent at test cricket than them.

Given how quickly games of cricket can swing, judging a side after a few losses is usually too hasty. England go into the final test with a chance to draw the series 2-2, a result not many would have predicted after a 4-0 annihilation in Australia 18 months ago, England's new way of playing has certainly closed the gap with Australia, but not quite been able to get them over the line.