"Lot Better Than I Thought": Brendon McCullum On England Players After Win vs South Africa
The England cricket team has won six out of the seven Test matches played under coach Brendon McCullum. Their most recent win came against South Africa in the series-deciding third Test.
England defeated South Africa by 9 wickets in the third and deciding Test match on Monday to bag the three-match series 2-1. This was the second series win for the Three Lions in the longest format under the coaching of Brendon McCullum. The Kiwi international took over the duties in the longest format for England in May this year, replacing Chris Silverwood and the side has won six out of the seven matches played under him since then. The wins also include one over India in the rescheduled fifth Test match.
A three-match series against New Zealand was McCullum's first assignment as England's Test coach which his side won 3-0. Later, the same side defeated India under his coaching.
In the series against South Africa, England lost the first game by an innings and 12 runs, but McCullum's men bounced back and won the remaining two games by big margins. While England won the second Test by an innings and 85 runs, they sealed the final game by a 9-wicket margin.
After the South Africa series, McCullum said that the England cricket team has got a lot more talent than what he had thought.
"I thought English cricket had a lot of talent but it got a lot more than I thought," McCullum told BBC.
"I knew these guys were good but they are a lot better than I thought. It is a very privileged position to be in to go and help these guys perform. It has been an absolute thrill.
"There are still big challenges in the next couple of years but for now it has been a pretty successful summer," McCullum added.
England Cricket Team
South Africa Cricket Team
Brendon McCullum
Jos Buttler
Joe Root