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Former England captain Alastair Cook believes Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum need a big Test series win against India or Australia to call the Bazball era successful. Cook, who is regarded as one of the most successful Test batters of all time, said while the coach-captain duo have won most of their matches, they are yet to record a series win against the best teams in the world.

In 2024, England were hammered by India away from home. After winning the first match of the series, the team lost four consecutive Test matches, losing their grip on the World Test Championship points table. Previously, they failed to win a home Test series against Australia in the Ashes.
“Since Ben and Brendon took over, 100 matches of Test cricket have been played and England sit at the top of the table by winning 62 per cent of their matches. Bazball didn’t just appear overnight – he has brought England success over an extended period of time – but I do believe that the next 12 to 14 months will define the Stokes-McCullum era,” Alastair Cook was quoted by Mirror .

“I love watching their team play, and they have changed the way people think about Test cricket, which in itself is a great achievement. But at the end of the day, the only thing missing from their achievements is a real win in the big series – and for us in England, beating Australia is the highlight,” he further added.

NZ vs ENG, 1st Test, Day 1: Highlights

Cook said he did not fully agree with the method with which England play Test cricket, but agreed that Stokes and McCullum were able to bring freshness back to the English red-ball game.

“I haven’t always agreed with everything they’ve done, and when you play risky cricket it doesn’t always work in your favor, but this side needs something tangible to define success. I think we are now seeing the evolution of Bazball 2.0 where they found their medium. For this group of players, this series in New Zealand, followed by five Tests against India next summer and five in Australia, is their moment to shine,” Cook said.

“The year ahead will be a great time to be an English cricketer and a great time for them to make their mark on the game.” England go into the opening Test of their three-match series against New Zealand in Christchurch still baffled by former Australian coach Darren Lehmann’s claim that batting kingpin Joe Root is not considered an all-time great,” he concluded.

England will play two major Test series against India and Australia in 2025. The Test series at home against India will kick off their next WTC cycle. The team will visit Australia away from home in the Ashes in the hope of regaining the title.