BAZBALL EFFECT HAS COME TO A HALT: England stunned the world by playing aggressive cricket in Tests and also found immediate success. Aggressive batting is not something new, but the English batters, under the new management of captain Ben Stokes and head coach Brendon McCullum, have raised it many notches higher. That newfound formula helped England find some success in the fourth innings of the four Tests, winning from impossible situations. But in modern day cricket, every move is assessed and analysed to the tee and the South African bowlers came out with a plan. A master plan. Their superior bowling skills also helped the Proteas win the contest. Who knows what would have been the result if England had won the toss? Back to the drawing boards now for England as all teams will be well armed with a plan. (By A.K. Satish, Sports Editor)
AP