'Trained too much': Brendon McCullum on England's defeat in Brisbane
What's the story
England's head coach, Brendon McCullum, believes the team may have overtrained for the 2nd Test against Australia, which they lost by eight wickets in Brisbane. The defeat in the pink-ball Test means England are 0-2 in the five-match Ashes series Down Under. Despite showing some fight, England's preparation for this crucial match has been under scrutiny, especially after they played only one intra-squad warm-up game before the series and skipped a pink-ball warm-up ahead of the Brisbane Test.
Overtraining concerns
McCullum's perspective on training sessions
"We had five to 10 training sessions leading into this game," McCullum told BBC Test Match Special. "Sometimes there is a tendency to overdo things to make up for it. If anything, we trained too much." He further emphasized the mental aspect of the game, saying, "As we all know, in this game, it is played in the top two inches."
Match report
How the match panned out
Electing to bat, England made 334 on the back of Joe Root's unbeaten 138. While his final-wicket stand with Jofra Archer bolstered England, Starc claimed six wickets. Australia finished at 511/10 in response as five of their batters scored fifties - Jake Weatherald, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Alex Carey, and Starc. Despite a 50-run knock from skipper Ben Stokes, England managed 241/10 in their second outing. Australia (69/2) then accomplished a nominal target without breaking a sweat.
Decision-making
'Have to make sure we are fresh'
McCullum also called for being active to be able to make better decisions on the field. "We all have to find a way that ensures that we feel prepared physically, technically, and we are ready for the battle, but also to make sure we are fresh and make sure we can make those decisions in the heat of the games," added the England head coach.
Mental approach
Stokes emphasizes on mental approach
On their defeat, Stokes said, "They are all incredibly talented players, but if you can't put it down to a skill thing, you start to wonder what it is?" He added, "Do we need to start thinking about what mentality we are taking into those pressure moments? When we are on top, we are great, and when behind the game, we are also very good. But when that moment is neck and neck, we are not coming out on top."