England’s growth under McCullum
England had a 4-1 defeat by India earlier this year which was quite a setback for a powerful team like England. The head coach of England, Brendon Mc Cullum has spoken about how the team has progressed and adopted different approaches after the loss(4-1) against India. Here are key points which highlight England’s recent performance
Series against West Indies:
After facing such defeat by India, England bounced back with full power and dominance against West Indies, winning the title of the England vs West Indies series. England had a one-sided win and did not let West Indies win any of the three matches. Thus England won by 3-0.
The Team showed more depth and flexibility in their performance. McCullum described them as “more nuanced”.
The team needs to be more focused- Growth & Improvement:
The head coach McCullum acknowledged that the team is still growing and still needs to be at its best. He reckoned that England wasn’t yet a “Finished Product” but has taken long strides towards becoming the team that can win abroad not just at home.
Learning from losses: the team used their past experiences to overcome their mistakes and enhance their skill set, which refined their approach.
Introduction of new players:
Player who debut: with the retirement of James Andreson and Jonny Bairstow being dropped, new players are introduced like Gus Atkinson, Jamie Smith, and Shoaib Bashir.
Standout performances by new players:
- Gus Atkinson took 22 wickets in 3 Tests.
- Jamie Smith scored over 200 runs with a strike rate of nearly 72.
- Shoaib Bashir impressed everyone with a five-wicket haul at Trent Bridge.
- Chris Woakes, having played so long in the shadows of Anderson, finally got his moment in the sun as the leader of the fast-bowling pack, a role he took to rather well.
Chirs Woakes led the bowling attack, he stepped up as a key bowler, especially on flat pitches, showcasing his skill in reverse swing.
“The way he bowled on these flat surfaces [in the West Indies series], reversing the ball, he was able to prise out some wickets,” McCullum said of Woakes. “He’s a remarkable cricketer who probably hasn’t played as much as he could have in international cricket but every time he has, he’s done well.
