BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Brendon McCullum identified England’s primary issue following consecutive eight-wicket defeats against Australia in the Ashes: Excessive training.
Thus, with the urgency to clinch victory in the final three tests of the series to reclaim the historic urn — representing the fierce competition between England and its erstwhile colony — the England coach is keen for his team to rejuvenate at one of Australia’s top coastal resorts.
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In discussions with Australian and British media outlets, McCullum elaborated on the challenging conditions in Australia and pointed out that the major issue after the heavy loss in Perth was the extensive practice ahead of the day-night test in Brisbane.
“Heading into this test match, I believed we overprepared, to be frank,” he told Australia’s 7 network on Sunday night after the eight-wicket defeat at the Gabba. «We had five rigorous training days, and sometimes during a crucial contest, it’s vital to feel somewhat fresh and ensure your (mental state) is entirely stable.
“I think the players just require a few days off. We need to modify the training techniques a bit. We’ll allow some time to pass on what has been a quite intense couple of weeks and begin to strategize and plan our comeback in the series.”
The third test begins on Dec. 17 in Adelaide, where Australia needs only a draw to hold onto the Ashes.
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Throughout the first two tests, England has squandered promising positions due to erratic bowling or poor shot choices from batsmen trying to score too rapidly, as well as dropping numerous catches.
The coaching team has faced criticism for organizing only a single tour match in Australia to prepare prior to the series. Coaches and players have been under fire from a growing number of former international players for adhering to an aggressive-at-all-costs mindset instead of adjusting to the conditions or match scenarios.
McCullum’s philosophy is to keep pushing ahead.
“The message from the captain, the message from myself: You can’t come to this nation and sulk or feel sorry for yourself if things haven’t gone well,” McCullum remarked. “You can’t have a fragile mindset when touring Australia. You must stand firm and proceed. You’ve got to take a few punches along the way and remain focused on the goal.”
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England has not secured an Ashes test victory in Australia since clinching the series in 2010-11. This is an issue that head coach McCullum and captain Ben Stokes are determined to address.
Stokes displayed resilience on Sunday with a determined half-century and a 96-run partnership with allrounder Will Jacks, reverting to a traditional test cricket strategy that offered England a spark of hope and postponed Australia’s triumph.
Stokes noted that the England team possesses the talent and ability to win in Australia, but must figure out how to outperform Australia in the most critical situations.
“When you realize it’s not about skill, you often need to dig deeper and understand what consistently occurs in those crucial moments,” Stokes stated. “It appears to be a recurring issue currently that during pressure situations, Australia continues to surpass us.”
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The extreme heat and brightness in Australia can pose challenges for touring teams, along with the additional bounce on pitches that soak in the summer heat. Crowds at Ashes tests can be large and loud, just as relentless as the sun.
“They say Australia isn’t a place for the weak — we’re definitely not weak, but we need to discover something because we’re down 2-0 with three matches remaining,” Stokes indicated. “We’re not going to shy away from the challenge before us (but) we do need to examine where things have faltered in these opening two games and remedy them quickly if we wish to bring the Ashes back to England.”
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AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
