'It’s About...’-McCullum Reveals England’s Plans in Abu Dhabi Ahead of the Rajkot Test
Brendon McCullum with Ben Stokes. (X.com)
England head coach Brendon McCullum has revealed on Tuesday, February 6, that England players will spend time with their families and closed one in Abu Dhabi ahead of the third Test in Rajkot. The Ben Stokes-led England team will enjoy a short break in Abu Dhabi between the second and third Tests.
Despite missing an opportunity to secure a commanding 2-0 lead in the series, losing the second Test by 106 runs in Visakhapatnam on Monday, the team will use this break to recharge before resuming the contest on February 15 in Rajkot.
Brendon McCullum emphasized that during their time in Abu Dhabi, players will prioritize rest with their families rather than intensive training sessions. However, he assured that they will be prepared to hit the ground running upon their return, ready to "drop the shoulder and go hard" for the third Test.
Baz acknowledged the intensity of the first two matches and emphasized the importance of mental refreshment during the break in Abu Dhabi. Unlike their extensive training stint in Abu Dhabi before the series began, there will be no formal training sessions during this period, allowing the players to rejuvenate ahead of the crucial third Test.
"I was speaking to Rahul Dravid this morning. I sorted of asked him what they were going to do after this Test match. He said they were all going to head home and have a bit of a break. For us, home is a long way away.
So we are going to head to Abu Dhabi. all the families coming there as well. It's a lot easier and we look forward to spending some time with family. Let's just say it's about digesting about the last few weeks which has been quite intense and also quite consuming," Brendon McCullum told TalkSPORT on Tuesday.
He also added:
"It's about taking stock of things, for us and India, and then coming back to Rajkot and putting the graft on. There won't be a lot of cricket stuff, probably won't be any cricket stuff in Abu Dhabi, just as there won't be much for the Indian boys as well. We have trained a lot, spent a lot of time in Abu Dhabi before the series as well.
Two intense Test matches, for us it's about refreshing the mental side of things and making sure we come back and put our best foot forward in the next Test match."
England has been playing entertaining cricket in India with their aggressive Bazball approach. However, they fell short of the target of 399, managing to surpass the 400-run mark only once in the last four innings despite their bold batting.
It is imperative for senior batters like Joe Root and Jonny Bairstow to rediscover their form to bolster England's chances of winning the third Test. The Three Lions now have nine days to recuperate and regroup before the all-important third Test in Rajkot.
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