England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, asserted that despite a substantial defeat by India in the third Test of the ongoing series in Rajkot, the team harbors no regrets about their approach.
The 434-run loss marked India’s largest win margin in Test history in terms of runs. Critics, including former England cricketers, have been skeptical of the ‘Bazball’ strategy and suggest a need for the visitors to change their style of play.
In a conversation with BBC’s Test Match Special Podcast, Brendon McCullum stated that England remains unaffected by external opinions, emphasizing that they don’t let the ‘outside noise’ influence them.
“People are entitled to their opinion, good, bad or ugly. It’s up to us whether we want to listen to it or not. The dressing room is a very strong place where confidence is high and guys are backed to go out there and allow their talent to flourish. If we allow the outside noise to seep in, that’s our problem.”
McCullum affirmed that England plans to maintain an aggressive stance, applying pressure on India in an effort to equalize the series during the fourth Test in Ranchi, scheduled to commence on Friday, February 23.
Brendon McCullum draws inspiration from Hyderabad’s reversal
Brendon McCullum provided insight into England’s remarkable 28-run victory in the first Test in Hyderabad. He elaborated on how the visitors, despite facing a significant 190-run deficit in the first innings, defied expectations and successfully reversed the situation against the hosts.
“We won the first one here when halfway through the Test no-one would have given us a chance, then we lost the next two. I’m pretty excited about the next two. If we bounce back from this then we’ll know this team is starting to get where we want it to get to. Too right we can win the series.”
Having been 2-0 behind in the Ashes at home last year, England eventually equalized the series. It will be intriguing to observe whether they persist with the ‘Bazball’ style of play or if they adjust their approach to better suit the conditions.
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