McCullum Calls for Lively Lord's Pitch After England's Edgbaston Defeat, Echoes Stokes' Subcontinent Surface Concerns

Following England's defeat at Edgbaston, coach Brendon McCullum has echoed captain Ben Stokes' assessment of the pitch as being similar to those found in the subcontinent. McCullum is now advocating for a livelier surface at Lord's for the upcoming third Test match.

Akash Deep congratulates Brendon McCullum after India's comprehensive win at Edgbaston.

McCullum expressed his desire for a pitch with "more bounce and pace" at Lord's, hoping for conditions that will favor the England team. As quoted by The Telegraph, he stated, “Something with a bit more pace, a bit more bounce, and maybe a little bit of sideways, hopefully.”

The second Test saw India dominate, securing a resounding 337-run victory and leveling the five-match series at 1-1.

England has bolstered their squad with the addition of Gus Atkinson, and there is speculation surrounding the potential return of Jofra Archer to Test cricket after a four-year absence.

McCullum acknowledged that England misjudged the Edgbaston pitch, praising the Indian bowlers for exploiting the conditions effectively.

“Obviously we made the decision to bowl first,” McCullum said. “We were thinking that the pitch would get better as the game went on, and we probably got that one wrong. We saw that it was probably more of a subcontinent-type pitch, and I thought India were exceptional."

He further elaborated on India's performance: “They played brilliantly with the bat in hand. Shubman Gill was batting at an elite level. Obviously, the way they bowled — Akash Deep in particular — they’ve grown up playing on those sorts of surfaces, where you’ve got to slam that slightly fuller length, and us bowling first presented them with those opportunities. Obviously, the footmarks started to create some issues as well. You don’t always get every decision right.”