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

County Championship: James Anderson takes five-wicket haul to put Lancashire on top against Northamptonshire

County Championship: James Anderson takes five-wicket haul to put Lancashire on top against Northamptonshire

James Anderson rolled back the years with a five-wicket haul as Lancashire ended the second day of their opening County Championship match against Nor...

County Championship: Essex use first injury substitute in tournament history as captain Tom Westley breaks finger

County Championship: Essex use first injury substitute in tournament history as captain Tom Westley breaks finger

The ECB's player replacement trial rule has been used for the first time in County Championship history, as Essex captain Tom Westley was replaced aft...

County Championship: Essex use first injury substitute in tournament history as captain Tom Westley breaks finger

County Championship: Essex use first injury substitute in tournament history as captain Tom Westley breaks finger

The ECB's player replacement trial rule has been used for the first time in County Championship history, as Essex captain Tom Westley was replaced aft...

New Zealand vs West Indies: Hosts secure Test series victory after succession of records broken in third match

New Zealand vs West Indies: Hosts secure Test series victory after succession of records broken in third match

Jacob Duffy took 5-42 as New Zealand bowled out the West Indies for 138 on a deteriorating fifth-day pitch to win the third Test by 323 runs and take...

Ashes hopeful Jacob Bethell hits 71 and Asa Tribe a century but England Lions thumped by Australia A in Brisbane

Ashes hopeful Jacob Bethell hits 71 and Asa Tribe a century but England Lions thumped by Australia A in Brisbane

Jacob Bethell's 71 was one of the few highlights for the Lions as England's second-string suffered a thumping innings defeat to Australia A in the uno...

The Ashes 2025-26: Where did it all go wrong for England as Australia retain the urn in dominant fashion?

The Ashes 2025-26: Where did it all go wrong for England as Australia retain the urn in dominant fashion?

England's bid to regain the Ashes is over after three comprehensive defeats in the first three Tests of the five-match series in Australia, but where...