England head coach Brendon McCullum has conceded that his side were outplayed at their own aggressive style by a big-hitting India team, as the first phase of 'Bazball' ended with a 4-1 series defeat. Speaking after the final Test in Dharamsala, which India won by an innings and 64 runs inside three days, McCullum acknowledged the need to refine his approach ahead of the next Ashes in Australia.
McCullum noted that India hit 59 of the 83 sixes in the series, with opener Yashasvi Jaiswal smashing 26 alone. 'India probably outplayed us at the style of cricket we want to play,' he said. 'They made us retreat a little bit and that's something that will have to change.' He added that England had opportunities but failed to close them out, which 'seemed to put doubt in our minds.'
The New Zealander, who has a contract until 2025, stressed that he and captain Ben Stokes have the 'hard edge' to make tough decisions on personnel. He hinted at changes behind the stumps, refusing to give full backing to either Jonny Bairstow or Ben Foakes, and suggested that one of Ollie Robinson, James Rew or Jamie Smith could be given a chance against West Indies and Sri Lanka this summer.
Veteran seamer James Anderson, who took his 700th Test wicket during the defeat, is expected to continue playing, possibly even into the next Ashes. McCullum praised Anderson's resilience, saying, 'If he's going to continue to do that then who knows where the end line for him is.' He added that the series defeat could be a valuable learning experience, concluding: 'A lot of good can come from this series, I'm sure of that.'
