Brendon McCullum leaks England's strategy for 2nd Test, throws an open challenge to Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid

England coach Brendon McCullum revealed that the management is contemplating the possibility of fielding an all-spin attack in the upcoming matches. Brendon McCullum indicated that young spinner Shoaib Bashir could be a valuable addition to the team in India.

The Ben Stokes-led team registered a 28-run victory in the first Test match against India at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad. The visiting team emerged victorious despite conceding a substantial 190-run lead to the opposition in the first innings.

Shoaib Bashir Impressed With His Skillset – Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum praised Shoaib Bashir for his skills and ability to succeed in India despite his limited first-class experience. McCullum hinted at potential changes based on the pitch conditions in the upcoming Test matches in the ongoing series.

“Bashir was with us in our camp in Abu Dhabi. He fitted seamlessly into the group. He impressed with his skillset. He is a guy who has an immense amount of enthusiasm, albeit at a pretty young age and pretty limited in his first-class experience. Again, like Tom Hartley, he is someone whom we looked at and thought his skillsets could assist us in conditions in India,” said McCullum.

Shoaib Bashir was part of England’s training camp in Abu Dhabi before the start of the series against India. However, the young bowler couldn’t travel with the team to India due to visa issues. He was ruled out of the first match as he had to travel to the United Kingdom.

The 20-year-old joined the England team a few days ago in Hyderabad. He is expected to be available for selection in the second match, which will be played at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam, starting on Friday, February 2.

We Have Got An Skipper – Brendon McCullum

Brendon McCullum expressed satisfaction with the team’s victory during the series opener. McCullum credited skipper Ben Stokes’ remarkable belief and the team’s unity for turning things around in challenging conditions.

“It feels really good. We were a little bit behind for fair bit the game. The belief never wavered. We have got a skipper, who has got an incredible belief to bind the team together and the unit which believe that they can turn it around from the difficult conditions,” McCullum stated.

England posted 246 runs in their first innings after opting to bat. However, they made a strong comeback in the second innings, scoring 420 runs in 102.1 overs. The visiting team bowled out the Rohit Sharma-led side for 202 runs in the final innings to clinch the victory.

Also read: “When we picked Tom Hartley, people raise their eyebrows..”- Brendon McCullum slams England critics