DHARMASALA: ‘Delulu is the solulu’.
It’s a famous phrase doing rounds in Gen Z pop culture. The term ‘delulu’ is an abbreviation, originating from delusional behaviours in K-pop fan communities, and ‘solulu’ means solution. The entire phrase — often used as a meme template by millennials and Gen Zs — it simply means making a conscious choice to be optimistic in the face of a disappointing reality.
Three weeks ago, it came up at the Rajkot press conference hall as Ben Duckett said that England and Bazball, maybe, should take credit for how Yashasvi Jaiswal, who hit 26 sixes in the series, batted. “When you see players from the opposition playing like that, it almost feels like we should take some credit that they are playing differently than how other people play Test cricket,” he had said. That quote obviously created some chuckles, leading to the comment on the sidelines — maybe, England is just being like delulu is the solulu.
While it felt like an amusing take at that point, as the series ended with a 4-1 scoreline in Dharamsala on Saturday — another innings defeat for England — it is hard not to think that maybe, there is more to it. Here is what England captain Ben Stokes said on the eve of the fifth Test when asked about the series loss after taking a 1-0 lead in Hyderabad: “There is obviously disappointment. But again, we have progressed so much on this tour. In a results-based business, that can sometimes sound stupid and deluded. You go on about India not having their best players. You look at the players we came here with, we were written off completely before we had played a game. People couldn't believe that we have picked Tom Hartley and Shoaib Bashir and now you look at what they have achieved. I am looking at it based on the progression of individuals and I am very happy as a captain.”
It only takes a few press conferences to understand why they are saying what they are. Stokes, and head coach Brendon McCullum, are hell-bent on not admitting a shred of defeat, at least not in public, irrespective of the result. It looks great when they win — they did win a lot when it all began in 2022. So great that it became a cult of sorts. People started defining what the team does by attesting different meanings to the label — which is essentially what it is — Bazball. And because it looks great and marketable when they do well — as is often the case with English cricket — there seems to be a sense of entitlement and saviour complex in the narratives built around their success.
But, when they lose, as most sporting teams are prone to, this narrative becomes a problem. Because teams don’t win Test matches on labels or brandings. Players thriving under this captain and coach cannot be attributed to a one-word lingo. There is obviously more nuance to it. And, the players might not be entirely responsible for the narratives that are built about them. That is why, Stokes, understandably, was not amused when asked whether he would concede that Rohit Sharma has been a better captain despite everyone talking and writing about the England skipper’s on-field tactics. “I will let you decide that,” he said, before adding, “I don’t ask people to talk about me.”
However, it does not help when the players, at least some of them, seem to have caught up and bought into the Bazball label and narratives. So much that, someone like Duckett might genuinely believe what he said three weeks ago in Rajkot. And even Stokes, at times, goes back and forth on it. While he admits defeat and disappointment in his own form, Stokes doesn’t even accept the premise of a question on things he could have done differently after a 4-1 loss. “ I don't deal in hindsight, sorry," he said on Saturday. At the same time, he would also say, “The media name Bazball — everyone says 'what is it?'. In my opinion, it's wanting to be a better player. In the face of defeat and failure, Bazball will hopefully inspire people to become better players and become even better than what we are."
After a point, it feels like a matter of convenience. And because of this label, and the narrative hyperbole around it, the larger point sometimes gets lost. Despite the hurt that they genuinely feel after such a defeat, and athletes do feel so irrespective of what they say in public, the likes of Duckett, Zak Crawley, Jonny Bairstow and Joe Root have thrived under Stokes and McCullum. The openers, especially, have grown in confidence. Crawley (407) and Duckett (343) scored a lot more than they did the last time they toured India. Both Hartley and Bashir might not be finished products, but they could well evolve into better Test cricketers for England. This is what Stokes meant when he said, “I judge a lot of what we do in terms of inputs of every individual towards the team.”
Yes, they played really bad shots. And yes, some of them, including Stokes, looked clueless against spin, and the Bazball narratives got a bit tiring as the series progressed. But it is hard to deny that England challenged, and pushed India to dig deep — at least till Ranchi, and that series was entertaining.
This brings the focus back to what Stokes said about sounding “deluded”. Maybe, delulu is the solulu for England, and it is absolutely fine because it seems to be working for them. But what world cricket can do without is the narrative that it is the solution for everyone else too.