Zak Crawley, England’s leading run-scorer in the recent Test series against India, believes that the team will not abandon their aggressive approach despite their shortcomings in the subcontinent. However, he acknowledges the need for refinement to capitalize on their dominant positions.
Crawley emphasized that England’s faith in their attacking methods remained unwavering throughout the series, despite their eventual 4-1 defeat. He pointed to the fourth Test in Ranchi, where England squandered a significant first-innings lead, as a missed opportunity.
“We never really lost faith and had the same attitude,” Crawley said. “We genuinely believed in ourselves and thought we could win the series. We were in all the games.”
Crawley expressed satisfaction with his personal performances, having emerged as England’s most consistent batter with 407 runs at an average of 40.70. He attributed his improved form to a more positive mindset and a focus on smothering the spin.
“I am trying to embrace failure more and accepting it is part of the game,” Crawley said. “So, I’m trying to stick with that.”
Despite his success against India’s spinners, Crawley admitted that he was unable to replicate his remarkable 189-run innings from the Ashes against their seamers. However, he emphasized his confidence against pace bowling and his willingness to engage with the opposition’s best bowlers.
“I just thought, ‘there are a couple of good balls in here, I just need to put them under pressure early’,” Crawley said. “I feel like a bit more pace on the ball has always suited my game a little bit more.”
Crawley also revealed that he had undergone laser surgery to correct his short-sightedness, which had previously required him to wear contact lenses. He believes that this has improved his ability to pick up the ball.
While Crawley’s series record paled in comparison to India’s Yashasvi Jaiswal, he insisted that he is not driven by a desire for big scores. Instead, he focuses on staying present and playing one ball at a time.
“Whenever I have looked too far ahead like that, that is how you get out straight away,” Crawley said. “Actually, a couple of those occasions I was thinking, ‘I need to get a big score’ and I wasn’t in the process.”
Crawley believes that England need to refine their approach to absorbing pressure and putting it back on the opposition. He emphasized that the team will not become more negative but will seek to identify the right moments to absorb pressure.
“We always talk about absorbing pressure and putting pressure back on,” Crawley said. “The last couple of years we’ve done the putting back on pretty well, and we’ve spoken about maybe picking those moments to absorb at the right times as well.”
