England head coach Brendon McCullum stated that his team had no regrets about their approach, despite being convincingly beaten by India in the third Test of the ongoing series in Rajkot.
The visitors suffered a defeat by 434 runs, marking the largest win margin ever for India in terms of runs in their Test history. Numerous cricket pundits and former England cricketers have criticized the ‘Bazball’ approach, suggesting that the visitors may need to adjust their brand of cricket.
If we allow the outside noise to seep in, that’s our problem- Brendon McCullum
However, in an interview with BBC’s Test Match Special Podcast, Brendon McCullum stated that England is not letting the ‘outside noise’ affect them. He said,
“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 also emphasized that England would maintain their aggressive approach and exert pressure on India to try and level the series in the fourth Test at Ranchi, which is set to begin on Friday, February 23.
Then we’ll know this team is starting to get where we want it to get to- Brendon McCullum expects a turnaround in the last 2 tests
Brendon McCullum highlighted England’s remarkable 28-run victory in Hyderabad in the first Test. Despite being written off by many after conceding a significant 190-run lead in the first innings, the visitors managed to turn the tide against the hosts.
Speaking regarding this, McCullum shared his opinion,
“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.”
After being 2-0 down in the Ashes at home last year, England made a remarkable comeback to level the series. It remains to be seen whether they will persist with the ‘Bazball’ approach or if they will refine their strategy to better suit the conditions.
The 4th test is scheduled to begin on February 23 in Ranchi. England might be feeling some respite with Jasprit Bumrah likely to be rested for the hosts.
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