England’s head coach Brendon McCullum knows the young Indian Test team is coming in with a lot of excitement. As they prepare for a tough five-match home series, he has a clear vision for his own team. India start their new World Test Championship cycle with a series against England at Headingley on June 20. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma retired, Shubman Gill will lead a fresh squad full of young batters like Sai Sudharsan and Yashasvi Jaiswal. They’re looking to win their first Test series in England since 2007.
The guys need to recharge. We know what we want to achieve as a Test team, McCullum told Sky Sports Cricket.
England’s bowling attack has taken a hit ahead of the series. Jofra Archer is out for the first Test, Mark Wood won’t play this summer due to an injury and Gus Atkinson is still recovering from a hamstring strain he picked up in a recent game against Zimbabwe. Chris Woakes has been using the India A match to get ready, bowling 32 overs and taking five wickets. Josh Tongue, who will probably be in the Test XI at Headingley, also took two wickets.
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Some big bowlers are missing but we have a good mix with Chris Woakes, Sam Cook, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton and Josh Tongue with the pace. Shoaib Bashir is also getting more confident with each Test. We know India will push us and they’ll be well prepared. They’re a great cricketing country and we’re excited for the contest.
McCullum also gave a shout-out to young all-rounder Jacob Bethell who’s back in the squad after making an impact in New Zealand with three fifties from the No. 3 spot. Bethell has a big future, he said. At 21 he shows great composure which helps him perform and show his talent. He’s stepping up as a leader in the dressing room which is exactly what you want.
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Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett remind McCullum of Duckett and Zak Crawley back in the day. We all know Duckett’s skills but Smith’s power is impressive. These guys play fearlessly and with some skill added in you hope to have well rounded players.
