Cricket Dec 07, 2025

The Ashes: Brendon McCullum says England "overprepared" for second Test after eight-wicket drubbing by Australia

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
The Ashes: Brendon McCullum says England "overprepared" for second Test after eight-wicket drubbing by Australia

Brendon McCullum has claimed his England side "overprepared" for the second Ashes Test, in which they fell to a thumping eight-wicket defeat by Australia at the Gabba.

England headed into the second Test needing to show some fight after their two-day loss in the first Test in Perth, and while Joe Root did score his first century in Australia, England were roundly beaten as they could only set Australia 65 to win despite showing more resistance on day four in Brisbane.

That total was chased down inside 10 overs, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Prior to the second Test, questions were raised over England's preparation to face the pink ball in the day-night Test, with some asking whether some of their top order batters, who had been struggling, should have headed to Canberra to play in a two-day match against a Prime Minister's XI.

However, England opted against this and their batting has continued to raise eyebrows after a top-order collapse late on day three had the tourists limping towards another heavy defeat.

Head coach McCullum believes England actually trained "too much" ahead of the second Test and will now look at changing his methods to ensure they are "fresh" as they look to save the series in Adelaide from December 16.

"We will have a beer tonight. I think leading into this Test match I actually felt like we overprepared to be honest," McCullum told 7Cricket.

"We had five intense training days and sometimes when you are in the heat of the battle, the most important thing is to feel a little bit fresh and make sure your top two inches are completely sound.

"I think the boys just need a few days off and we probably need to change up a few of the training methods.

"I am a horse racing man, and you wouldn't just keep doing the same thing with your horse.

"We will look at some alternative methods over the next couple of days. We have got a couple of days in Noosa so it will be nice to spend a few days casually and let the dust settle on what has been on what has been a pretty intense couple of weeks and start playing our way back into the series."

All times UK and Ireland

Tags:

cricket news id:13480474

Share this article

Related Posts

England Ashes review: Past captains question accountability for series defeat after Brendon McCullum, Rob Key avoid ECB sacking

England Ashes review: Past captains question accountability for series defeat after Brendon McCullum, Rob Key avoid ECB sacking

Former England captain Michael Atherton believes fans will find it ‘extraordinary’ that no jobs were lost for ‘mistakes’ made during their heavy Ashes...

England's Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell receive cautions but Josh Tongue escapes action over clash with nightclub bouncer in New Zealand

England's Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell receive cautions but Josh Tongue escapes action over clash with nightclub bouncer in New Zealand

England white-ball captain Harry Brook and Jacob Bethell have been cautioned by the Cricket Regulator, but no further action is to be taken against Jo...

New Zealand complete record women's ODI run chase as captain Melie Kerr scores 179 not out against South Africa

New Zealand complete record women's ODI run chase as captain Melie Kerr scores 179 not out against South Africa

New Zealand completed the highest successful run chase in women's one-day international history off the back of captain Melie Kerr's stunning 179 not...

Ben Stokes: England captain to miss first month of county season as he continues to recover from gruesome cheek injury

Ben Stokes: England captain to miss first month of county season as he continues to recover from gruesome cheek injury

England Test captain Ben Stokes is poised to miss the first month of the County Championship season with Durham as he continues to recover from facial...

PSL: Fakhar Zaman found guilty of ball-tampering after Lahore Qalandars penalised in defeat to Karachi Kings

PSL: Fakhar Zaman found guilty of ball-tampering after Lahore Qalandars penalised in defeat to Karachi Kings

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has suspended Fakhar Zaman for two ‌Pakistan Super League (PSL) matches after the batter was found guilty of ball-tam...

ECB launches T20 Hall of Fame to celebrate icons of domestic T20 cricket in England and Wales

ECB launches T20 Hall of Fame to celebrate icons of domestic T20 cricket in England and Wales

England women's head coach Charlotte Edwards is amongst the names on a shortlist for the T20 Hall of Fame presented by Vitality, celebrating the icons...