ICC official website
Brendon McCullum doesn’t mince words about England’s shortcomings exposed by India, leading to what he describes as “timid” cricket and a 4-1 defeat. Despite this being McCullum’s first series loss as head coach, he doesn’t sugarcoat the team’s performance.
After an initial win in Hyderabad, England’s strong positions in subsequent Tests were squandered, culminating in a heavy defeat in Dharamsala, where India dominated and secured an innings victory within three days.
Under McCullum’s coaching and with Ben Stokes as captain, England’s record stands at 14 wins out of 23 matches, with eight defeats. Notably, seven of these defeats occurred in the 13 matches played since the beginning of 2023. While losing to India, who have remained unbeaten in series since 2013, is respectable, McCullum admits there are lessons to be learned and areas to refine in the team’s approach. Tough conversations and refinement processes will be on the agenda as England seeks improvement in the aftermath of their defeat.
