England cricket team have been on the receiving end of trolls and criticism after their bazball template failed to yield positive results in the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle.

Ben Stokes (left) and Brendon McCullum (right)The Three Lions were the first to adopt a 'bazball approach', an aggressive philosophy that has certainly produced some top-notch cricket and ticked the entertainment quotient in the best scene.

However, at the same time, their philosophy did take a beating on several occasions and failed to deliver results when it mattered the most. England's recent defeat to Sri Lanka in the third and final Test at Oval, is a sucker punch to their chances of making it to the World Test Championship final, a dream which looks far from reality, as India and Australia are the two teams that appear to be the favourites this time.

England were in commanding positions not once but twice during the match against Sri Lanka in the third Test in Oval but they let the chance slip away from their hands. On the other hand, Sri Lanka seized their opportunities properly and they were able to churn out results in their favour.

England's bazball approach proved insignificant against Sri Lanka's measured approach as the visitors registered their first win over England in Tests after 10 years chasing down 219, courtesy of Pathum Nissanka's century.

England's recent loss isn’t an isolated case because they were already hammered 4-1 by India in a Test series earlier this year. They failed to live up to the Bazball hype but at that time, critics dismissed England's Test series defeat as just a bump in the road, but with this recent defeat to Sri Lanka and that too in their home soil, it has becoming increasingly difficult to ignore the loopholes in the Bazball strategy.

While it is no doubt that their aggressive philosophy has certainly produced some entertaining moments, it lacked the cutting edge when it matters most. It is evident that Bazball encourages risks, but when those calculative risks don't pay off in the first place, the consequences can be severe and England's current position in the WTC table serves as a testament to the fact.

Their recent defeat to Sri Lanka means that they are currently sixth on the table, just below Sri Lanka. Having played 16 Tests in the third cycle of the WTC, they were able to emerge victorious on 8 occasions, losing 7 times and playing out for a draw once. While focusing solely on bazball, perhaps, England have missed the big picture as they failed to deliver on the big stage.

Well, what is the use of Bazball if their exciting template is not translating into wins or WTC final berths? Despite all the media hype surrounding their attacking approach, England now face the real possibility of not even making it to the WTC final.

As England’s summer ends with a sniffle, it's time for England's think-tank to get back to the drawing board and re-evaluate Bazball. On the entertainment front, England have excelled but their execution in terms of results failed.

It is important to note that cricket is a game of balance as the players need to know when to attack and defend. If the players have this balanced mindset, then the team will reap the rewards in the longer-run.