England coach Brendon McCullum considers Test series against India as real challenge for 'Bazball'
Dec 04, 2023
Bengaluru (Karnataka) [India], December 4 : England Test team head coach Brendon McCullum highlighted the significant challenge that his team will face in the upcoming Test series against India.
England will face hosts India in the five-match Test series from January 2024. The five-match series will be played at Hyderabad, Visakhapatnam, Rajkot, Ranchi and Dharamsala.
McCullum expressed a sense of anticipation and readiness for the test that lies ahead for 'Bazball' against the Men in Blue. The spotlight will be on England's 'Bazball' tactic, which has evolved with each series against a new opponent. The possibility of winning a Test series against India at their home looks to be McCullum's greatest accomplishment as a coach because no team has done so in more than a decade.
"We have got a huge challenge against a very good Indian team in five tests in India. I am excited about it because you want to test yourself against the best side and I genuinely believe that India is the best in their own condition. It is going to be a good challenge for us. If we have success then fabulous, if we don't then I know we will go down in the style that we want to go down," McCullum said at the RCB Innovation Lab's Leaders Meet India in Bengaluru.
The 42-year-old McCullum also expressed his thoughts on the essence of Bazball and what it stands for.
"We are playing the game, because we love cricket and we want to try and be as good at cricket as we possibly can. During the time that you are in the chair, you want to make sure you enjoy it and you shouldn't wait till the end of your career to do so. We are very lucky that we have had some immediate success but I don't think it is the ceiling for us. I think we have seen some guys who have unlocked their potential in the last 18 months or so and that's what the job is as a leader; to get the most out of the people that you're in charge of."
The 42-year-old also reminisced about the fearless and unbeaten knock of 158 off 73 balls in the very first Indian Premier League (IPL) game credited this unbelievable knock as the inspiration for the Bazball phenomenon and how he still daydreams about this life-changing moment.
"The reason why I daydream about that moment is because it literally changed my life. I was just a cricketer for New Zealand, where no one really knew what you did where you're from, or what you're capable of. But that day provided the platform, the forum, and the opportunity to change my life," McCullum said.
