Ashes 2023: Brendon McCullum underlines England's Test approach, points Zak Crawley's innings as success story

England’s head coach Brendon McCullum has underlined his team’s approach despite them being unable to conquer the Ashes 2023 urn. The hosts despite trailing 0-2 in the Ashes, were able to draw the holy grail as Zak Crawley and Co structured England’s comeback and maintained their 22-year unbeaten record on home soil. Crawley’s counter-attack play coupled with Ben Stokes’ approach with the bat saw England end the series at 2-2 having won the Oval Test in dramatic circumstances.

Crawley’s innings validates England's approach

McCullum highlighted how Crawley played a crucial role in the team’s revival, having smashed a189-run knock in the Manchester Test. According to the gaffer, his successful innings against Australia validates England's approach to Test cricket. The youngster was under pressure going into the Ashes but proved his critics wrong with a dazzling display.

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"Coming into the series, he was under quite a lot of pressure. The great thing was he was able to block that out as much as possible… you hope that's down to the environment the skipper's trying to create, and the sincere messaging," McCullum said.

Crawley’s knock was the highest by an English player in an Ashes innings this season and will look to replicate his form in time to come.

"480 runs at a strike rate of 90 [88.72], against the best bowling attack in the world, against the Dukes ball, in an Ashes series: people don't do that, you know? As the skipper said: you look at what people's upsides are, what their best days are, what they're capable of achieving rather than focusing on things that might not be there. He's a case in point,” McCullum said in Crawley’s case.

ALSO READ |IN PICS | Top Moments from Ashes 2023 featuring Jonny Bairstow runout, Stuart Broad's retirement

What happened in the Ashes?

Having initially taken a 2-0 lead in the Ashes after the Lord’s Test, England showed a good fight back to level the series at 2-2. Australia won a close contest at Edgbaston while England failed to win the Lord’s affair narrowly. On the flip side, despite conceding a first-innings lead, England managed to win the Headingley Test.

The Manchester Test proved to be the decisive one as England were undone by the rain gods. Rain played spoilsport in the contest as it resulted in Australia retaining the Ashes. On the horizon, despite sitting in the driver’s seat to win their first Ashes on English soil, Pat Cummins’ men stumbled and handed England a crucial win on the final day of the Oval Test.

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