Brendon McCullum, the head coach of the England cricket team in Tests, reflected on the team's harrowing 4-1 defeat to India in the recently-concluded Test series.
England sent a signal of intent in the first Test in Hyderabad, in which they overcame a 190-run deficit in the first innings to beat India by 28 runs. The scorching sphere of 'Bazball' was even more ablaze. India's spirits were dampened. England's belief strengthened.
England's streak of not losing any Test series under the McCullum-Stokes regime seemed to be safe. For India, it was about maintaining their 12-year unbeaten streak at home, having decimated every visiting team for 16 series in a row.
As luck would have it, it was England who last managed to breach the Indian fortress, beating them 2-1 in 2012.
Turns out, the bludgeoning force of Ben Stokes and Co. would no longer taste any success on the tour, losing four consecutive Tests. After being shell-shocked in Hyderabad, India would go on to win in Vizag, Rajkot, Ranchi, and Dharamshala. The gulf in quality, ability, and endurance only becoming more apparent.
It was England's first series loss under McCullum, and the former New Zealand wicketkeeper-batsman has accepted that the team's morale has been heavily affected following the conclusion of the tour.
'Learnt a lot out of this tour' - Brendon McCullum on England's 4-1 loss to India
Speaking to The Telegraph, McCullum stated that his team's expectations were not met on the tour, instead choosing to emphasize on the bright side.
Credit to India for the way that they played. They are always under a lot of pressure as well because of the expectations on their side and for them to be able to handle that during those moments shows how good a cricket team they are in their own conditions; they probably outplayed us at the style of cricket that we want to play and made us start to retreat a little bit so that’s something that we will have to change.
We didn’t get what we came here for. We’ve learnt a lot out of this tour. India outplayed us, they outskilled us and in the clutch moments were just too good for us really.
We will allow dust and hurt to settle a bit as well and then use that hurt and experience we have in the game to make changes we need to ensure we are a better version of what we have started out as.
We are obviously disappointed, we came here with high hopes and felt we had really progressed as a team and on this occasion we’ve got to acknowledge we’ve got a bit of work to do moving forward and I think as long as we’re prepared to put our hands up and say that we need to adjust some of those things, never throw away what we’ve done to this point because those are the convictions and methods that we’ve got, but you also need to keep improving.
We will have some time to reflect and come back bigger, stronger and more refined.
Brendon McCullum warns England players to be smarter with their words
McCullum admitted that occasionally his team's public statements have not helped them. For example, Ben Duckett responded, "the more the better," when asked how many runs England would like to chase in the third Test in Rajkot, a match they ultimately lost by 434 runs.
We do have belief within our group. It has taken a bit of a hit over the last couple of weeks. We have to be smarter with those comments. It is fine to inwardly believe what you can achieve but just be a bit smarter around how we say things sometimes. But it is people growing up in the environment right. They are not the finished articles yet and surely they shouldn’t be hung for making a positive comment in the media that might be construed as arrogance. It is not arrogance, just confidence in the group.
When are England next playing a Test match?
Following the conclusion of the 2024 T20 World Cup, which will be played in June in the USA and the West Indies, England are going to have a busy summer at home.
They will play West Indies in a three-match Test series in July, and will then welcome Sri Lanka for as many Tests in August.
