ENG vs AUS, 2nd Ashes Test: Despite a two-wicket setback against Australia, England head coach Brendon McCullum feels the first Ashes Test “validated” his team’s aggressive strategy and expects his side to “go a little harder” in the second Test at Lord’s next week.
England scored 4.61 runs per over and targeted Australia’s bowlers from the first ball when Zak Crawley smacked Pat Cummins through the covers for four. However, Australia won the match on the last day by scoring 3.20 runs per over across the five days and consistently posting defensive fields. “I think we played our style, which is to try and take the game forward. I thought Australia were happy playing their style as well, which ultimately led to success for them and I’m sure they’ll continue with those tactics right throughout the series. I think it’s set up to be quite a fascinating contest,” ESPNcricinfo quoted McCullum, England’s Test coach, as saying.
“I guess I had a bit of an inkling that they might try and put some sweepers out – and it’s hard to argue because they won the Test match, right? I’m sure they’ll stick solid to that strategy all the way through, which I think’s great because we’ll go a little harder and they’ll probably stick to their strategy,” he added.
“Obviously you’d rather have won the game – that’s just the nature of sport sometimes – but I thought the way that we played, I think it’s validated our style of play as well. If we’d have got a little bit of the rub of the green then we might have been on the other side of it,” he added.
McCullum does not anticipate either team to make big adjustments to their respective styles in the second Test, which begins on June 28 at Lord’s, although he does believe England will be more aggressive than at Edgbaston.
“I thought it was a cracking Test match and two very different styles of play. But like a heavyweight boxing match, not everyone has to fight the same. I thought it was a great Test match and I’m sure everyone that watched all around the world, and everyone who was here at Edgbaston as well, absolutely loved it – and that’s us included,” said the England coach.
“Both teams have got a little bit of time to digest what’s unfolded over the last five days and maybe slightly tweak a couple of things along the way. But I’d expect that they’d carry on doing the same sort of playing [style] that they executed here, and we’ll be doing the same,” McCullum said.
The second Ashes Test will start at Lord’s on Wednesday, with Australia 1-0 up in the series.
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