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England’s coach Brendon McCullum indicated that the team trained «excessively» as captain Ben Stokes questioned the mentality of their squad following the heavy loss to Australia in the second Test.
Despite showing some resilience, England succumbed to an eight-wicket defeat in Brisbane, putting them 2-0 down in the five-match Ashes series.
Concerns had been raised about their prep for this highly anticipated series, with England participating in merely one intra-squad warm-up match prior to the series and opting out of a pink-ball warm-up before the second Test.
«We held five rigorous training sessions leading up to this match,» McCullum mentioned to BBC Test Match Special.
«At times, there is a risk of going overboard to compensate for it.»
«If anything, we overtrained.»
He continued: «As is well known in this sport, it is played in the mind.
«We all need to discover a way that guarantees we are physically prepared, technically sound, and ready for the challenge, while also ensuring we remain fresh and capable of making decisions in crucial moments during the games.»
Stokes spearheaded the defense on the last day by facing 152 balls to score 50 runs, although England crumbled to 4-17 after batter Will Jacks was dismissed, putting Australia in a position to chase 65 runs in their second innings.
Stokes refuted the notion that England’s issues stemmed from lack of skill, instead questioning their inability to seize key moments.
«All the players are immensely talented, but if we can’t attribute it to a skill deficit, we need to ponder what the issue is?» Stokes remarked.
«Do we have to evaluate the mentality we carry into those critical situations?
«When we lead, we excel, and when trailing we perform well too, but in those neck-and-neck moments, we aren’t coming out on top often enough.»
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The moments that have cost England
Stokes referred to the issues as a «recurring theme».
«When the match is in a moment of indecision, Australia has been able to navigate through those phases better than us,» he stated.
These issues can be traced back to the fifth Test against India during the summer, possibly even the 2023 Ashes when England squandered advantageous positions in the initial two Tests, resulting in a 2-0 deficit.
England’s recent turmoil comprises:
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In their pursuit of 374 against India at The Oval, England stood at 73 runs from victory with Harry Brook and Joe Root at the crease and seven wickets remaining. They lost by a mere six runs.
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During the first Ashes Test in Perth, England were essentially at 105-1 in their second innings but lost five wickets for just 38 runs and ended up losing by eight wickets.
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In their opening innings in Brisbane, England were on 176-3 when Mitchell Starc returned to bowl under the lights, leading to Brook’s dismissal on a wild drive to his second delivery.
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After managing to score 334, Stokes’ team started poorly with the ball, allowing Australia to accelerate to 77-0 in the first 13 overs.
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They rallied towards the end of the day but dropped four catches during the evening session and then permitted Mitchell Starc and Scott Boland to form a 27.3-over partnership the next morning.
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In their second innings, England reached 90-1 to narrow their deficit to 87 but swiftly collapsed to 128-6 after both Ollie Pope and Zak Crawley fell to drives.
My team is ‘not a place for weak men’ – Stokes
Stokes stated he would engage in discussions with his players and is confident they can overturn a 2-0 deficit to win an Ashes series for the first time.
While asserting that he doesn’t view his players as weak, he remarked: «There’s a saying we often use here – Australia isn’t for the weak.
«A dressing room led by me is also not a place for those who are weak.
«We must dig deep, and I as well.»
McCullum remarked that England, who were similarly 2-0 down in the 2023 Ashes but came back to level the series 2-2, were «slow to adjust» to the conditions at the Gabba.
«We have faced similar situations previously and must ensure we remain close as a team and rectify the few weaknesses displayed over the last two Tests,» he explained.
«When visiting Australia, you cannot afford to be anything less than your best. You must capitalize on every chance.
«In this Test match, there were several instances where we held the upper hand with the bat, but we let that chance slip. Additionally, there were times when we did not perform with the ball as effectively as we should have.
«Clearly, our catching was also a concern. [It is] extremely challenging to defeat Australia at home if you’re lacking in those three crucial areas.»
Related topics
- England Men’s Cricket Team
- The Ashes
- Cricket
