NEW DELHI: After a 4-1 humbling in the five-match Test series against India, head coach Brendon McCullum has said that England’s Test team were ‘exposed’ by India in their recently concluded tour.
“Sometimes you can get away with things, but when you’re exposed in the way we have been in the back end of this series in particular, it does require some pretty deep thinking and some adjustment to make sure we’re staying true to what we believe in,” McCullum told BBC Sport.
The series defeat in India, after having won the first Test by 28 runs, marked a first ever in the McCullum-Stokes era that had seen England claim 14 Test wins from 18 matches before their most recently concluded series.
In line to what captain Stokes said in the aftermath of the series loss – count this team out at your own peril – McCullum wasn’t reticent in suggesting that he is still ‘fiercely competitive’ to take this team forward.
“Whilst you guys know me as a pretty relaxed person, I still have a fierce drive to ensure that we will get this team to where we want to get to,” he said.
“That will allow some reflection over the next few weeks, then we start plotting towards rectifying what has unfolded here and becoming the team we should be. We like to operate in a really calm, enjoyable and positive environment, but we don’t mistake that for not having tough conversations when they are required,” the England head coach added.
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Lingering eighth in the nine-team World Test Championship standings, England next face West Indies and Sri Lanka at home in the red-ball format in the coming summer following the T20 World Cup.
Agencies

Agencies