Adelaide (Australia), 14 December (H.S.): Despite trailing 2–0 in the ongoing Ashes Series, England head coach Brendon McCullum remains confident that his side can stage a strong comeback against Australia. Speaking before the third Test, scheduled to begin at the Adelaide Oval on December 17, McCullum expressed faith in his batting lineup, acknowledging that while runs have been scarce so far, occasional lean phases are part of the game.

Ahead of the match, McCullum stood firmly behind his top-order batters and hinted at retaining the same lineup. According to the ICC, the England coach said on Sunday before the team’s training session in Adelaide, “From our perspective, we’ve had a consistent top seven for a while now, and we’ve tasted considerable success with this group.”

McCullum further stated that the conditions in Adelaide should favor England’s batting style. “We are aware that our batters haven’t scored enough runs in this series. On several occasions, we were in positions to capitalize, but small mistakes cost us. That’s cricket — it happens sometimes. To win this series, we don’t need to abandon the approach that has brought us success over the years,” he added.

Emphasizing the team’s mindset, McCullum said that when the players step onto the field, they must trust their abilities completely. “Making panic decisions or changing our settled batting lineup isn’t our way,” he remarked.

England have suffered defeats by eight wickets in both previous Tests. Reflecting on the current scenario, McCullum acknowledged the difficulty but maintained optimism. “When we arrived here, we knew we needed to win three Tests to clinch the series. Being 2–0 down makes things tougher, but it won’t shake the confidence that exists within our dressing room,” he said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar