Follow UsIn the wake of a crushing two-day defeat at Perth, England coach Brendon McCullum has urged his side not to overreact to the setback as they prepare for the remainder of the Ashes series against the Australian team.
England collapsed unfathomably as they surrendered a strong position and handed Australia an eight-wicket win in the space of two sessions. They led by 100 runs with nine wickets in hand at lunch but ended up losing the Test by stumps.
McCullum acknowledged that the defeat has triggered loads of pain and chatter, but emphasised that the focus must now be on steady recovery rather than dramatic change.
“We know it’ll hurt, not just us but all the people who follow this cricket team as well,” McCullum said, as quoted by Cricbuzz.
He stressed that, despite the loss, the core operating principle remains the same: putting pressure on the opposition and maintaining intent.
“Yes, there are times when we have to throttle down and times when we have to power up. But the basic principle of how we operate as a team is to put pressure on the opposition. And I’ll stress: I thought 200 was a good score until Travis Head played the way he did,” he remarked.
Looking ahead, McCullum said the team would allow the defeat to sink in and then regroup. The head coach remains clear that the reaction to this defeat will be crucial in shaping how the rest of the series unfolds.
“We’ll let the dust settle tonight and then map out a plan (for the next two weeks) and decide whether some guys (get some time in the middle). This has come quickly and we’re disappointed, but we’re strong believers in what we’re doing,” the England coach said.
The second Test in Brisbane, starting December 4, will be a pink ball encounter, presenting another challenge to the English team.