“You want to Test yourself against the best side” – Brendon McCullum on England’s 5-match Test series in India

England Test head coach Brendon McCullum recently said that the upcoming five-match Test series in India will be the final frontier for his side.

McCllum further cited that the Ben Stokes and company will continue the Bazball approach, which has yielded them the desired results over the last 18 months.

Stokes and McCullum duo have led England to 13 wins and one draw in 19 games since taking the charge as skipper and coach, respectively.

England won their last series (2-1) in India in 2012-13. Since then, they have lost two Test series in India in 2016-17 (0-4) and 2020-21 (1-3).

Speaking recently at the RCB innovation lab’s meet India in Bengaluru, Brendon McCullum said:

“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," he continued. "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.

"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.”

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“The opportunity to change my life” – Brendon McCullum reacts to his debut in inaugural IPL season

Brendon McCullum recently reacted to his sensational debut in the inaugural IPL season. The right-handed batter had smashed 158 runs off 73 balls, including 13 sixes and 10 boundaries for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) against the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). The Knight Riders won that game by 140 runs in a one-sided contest.

McCullum said:

"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.”

Brendon McCullum featured in the IPL from 2008 to 2018. Besides KKR, he also played for Kochi Tuskers Kerala, Chennai Super Kings, Gujarat Lions, and RCB. The wicketkeeper-batter amassed 2880 runs in 109 games, including two tons and 13 half-centuries.