Brendon McCullum, England's head coach, has compared the Ashes series to a heavyweight boxing battle between two powerful sides after the final game at The Oval in London.
England overcame Pat Cummins-led Australia by 49 wickets on Day 5 of the fifth Test to level the series 2-2. McCullum was pleased with his team's performance and said the recently concluded series was truly amazing.
“Amazing to be part of this series. Two incredible cricket teams with contrasting style much like a heavyweight boxing fight and it lived up to the billing. It was really special. I am very proud of the way our boys stayed very strong to what we want to do throughout the series. It is a nice reflection of a great series,” McCullum told Sky Sports.
The legendary wicketkeeper-batter lauded pacer Stuart Broad, who called time on his Test career. Given Broad's tremendous exploits throughout his historic Test career, the coach said that the team will miss the mainstay of England cricket in the dressing room. He went on to say that the 37-year-old, who had a fairytale ending by bringing up the last wicket to end the series, deserved to go on his own terms.
“What he has been able to achieve is absolutely amazing. It’s hard to really sum up in a few words what Stuart Broad is about and what the impact he has had on this game.
“What he has been able to bring to the dressing room in the last 14-15 months. It is nothing sort of unbelievable. He is a one true competitor, he writes his own scripts, and to go out as a fairytale that he has done is a testament to that. We are going to miss him huge amount. He deserves to leave on his terms,” he added.
The Ashes 2023 was challenging at the time: McCullum
Reflecting on the defeat in the first two Tests, Brendon McCullum admitted that there were few nerves. The former New Zealand cricketer applauded Ben Stokes' belief in how he wanted England to go and his team's improvement as the series progressed. The 41-year-old stated that the team has come to terms with the brand of cricket they want to play in the last three games.
“It was challenging at the time. I think you come in to the series with a lofty ambitions about how you want to play and when both teams starts on an even cue, you are pretty strong with the belief but when you do go two nil down, particularly in games like where we felt like you had your opportunities to win. It can be quite testing.
“With the skipper’s convincing and his belief in the direction he wants his team to take and the experience we have got in the group helped us to hold the fort. We went better and better as the series went on. That was probaly the most pleasing aspect to stay true when you are under pressure. What we see in the last three matches is that the team has really grow up and really comes to the term with the style of cricket we want to play,” the coach concluded.
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