Cricket Dec 07, 2025

The Ashes: Brendon McCullum says England "overprepared" for second Test after eight-wicket drubbing by Australia

👤
By Admin
Sports Journalist
The Ashes: Brendon McCullum says England "overprepared" for second Test after eight-wicket drubbing by Australia

Brendon McCullum has claimed his England side "overprepared" for the second Ashes Test, in which they fell to a thumping eight-wicket defeat by Australia at the Gabba.

England headed into the second Test needing to show some fight after their two-day loss in the first Test in Perth, and while Joe Root did score his first century in Australia, England were roundly beaten as they could only set Australia 65 to win despite showing more resistance on day four in Brisbane.

That total was chased down inside 10 overs, giving the hosts a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

Prior to the second Test, questions were raised over England's preparation to face the pink ball in the day-night Test, with some asking whether some of their top order batters, who had been struggling, should have headed to Canberra to play in a two-day match against a Prime Minister's XI.

However, England opted against this and their batting has continued to raise eyebrows after a top-order collapse late on day three had the tourists limping towards another heavy defeat.

Head coach McCullum believes England actually trained "too much" ahead of the second Test and will now look at changing his methods to ensure they are "fresh" as they look to save the series in Adelaide from December 16.

"We will have a beer tonight. I think leading into this Test match I actually felt like we overprepared to be honest," McCullum told 7Cricket.

"We had five intense training days and sometimes when you are in the heat of the battle, the most important thing is to feel a little bit fresh and make sure your top two inches are completely sound.

"I think the boys just need a few days off and we probably need to change up a few of the training methods.

"I am a horse racing man, and you wouldn't just keep doing the same thing with your horse.

"We will look at some alternative methods over the next couple of days. We have got a couple of days in Noosa so it will be nice to spend a few days casually and let the dust settle on what has been on what has been a pretty intense couple of weeks and start playing our way back into the series."

All times UK and Ireland

Tags:

cricket news id:13480474

Share this article

Related Posts

Women's T20 World Cup: England's Heather Knight says landscape of women’s sport different to 2017 and targets legacy like Lionesses, Red Roses

Women's T20 World Cup: England's Heather Knight says landscape of women’s sport different to 2017 and targets legacy like Lionesses, Red Roses

Heather Knight has told Your Site England's ambition at their home Women's T20 World Cup starting in June is to "create a real legacy for women's cric...

Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Free live cricket stream of all England, Scotland, Ireland games and final on Sky Sports App

Women's T20 World Cup 2026: Free live cricket stream of all England, Scotland, Ireland games and final on Sky Sports App

Your Site will make all 12 group matches involving England, Scotland and Ireland, as well as the semi-finals and final of the 2026 ICC Women's T20 Wor...

Jude Bellingham invests in Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred: 'I owe the city', says Real Madrid and England star

Jude Bellingham invests in Birmingham Phoenix in The Hundred: 'I owe the city', says Real Madrid and England star

Real Madrid and England's Jude Bellingham feels he "owes" the city of Birmingham after he was announced as a new investor in The Hundred's Birmingham...

Jacob Bethell responds to IPL criticism as Sir Alastair Cook calls for England star to consider return to county cricket with Warwickshire

Jacob Bethell responds to IPL criticism as Sir Alastair Cook calls for England star to consider return to county cricket with Warwickshire

Jacob Bethell has responded to criticism about his lack of match time at the Indian Premier League as former England captain Sir Alastair Cook called...

Ben Stokes: England captain denies rift with head coach Brendon McCullum and insists disagreements are healthy

Ben Stokes: England captain denies rift with head coach Brendon McCullum and insists disagreements are healthy

Ben Stokes has dismissed any suggestion that he and Brendon McCullum are not aligned, insisting that differences of opinion are integral to healthy an...

County Championship: James Rew gets England backing but sees Hampshire fight back against Somerset

County Championship: James Rew gets England backing but sees Hampshire fight back against Somerset

Division One pace-setters Somerset came up against stubborn resistance from Hampshire on day two at the Utilita Bowl.The early leaders lost seven wick...