Brisbane: Australia delivered a crushing eight-wicket blow to England in the second Ashes Test at the Gabba, surging to a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Chasing a modest 65 runs, Steve Smith sealed the victory with a towering six, leaving England reeling after another dismal performance. However, it was head coach Brendon McCullum’s bizarre post-match excuse that stole the spotlight, sparking both ridicule and debate.
McCullum, defiant amid criticism of England’s preparations, claimed his team “trained too much” in the lead-up to the pink-ball Test. “We had five to ten intense sessions, and sometimes you overdo it,” he told BBC Test Match Special, suggesting mental fatigue hampered their adaptability to the Gabba’s conditions.
The remark drew a sharp jab from Iceland Cricket’s X handle, which mockingly dropped McCullum from their coaching wishlist.
England’s batting crumbled, despite a gritty 96-run stand between Ben Stokes (50) and Will Jacks (41), while dropped catches and wayward bowling compounded their woes.
The defeat, following a two-day thrashing in Perth, has pushed England to the brink, with no team ever recovering from a 2-0 deficit to win the Ashes in Australia. McCullum, however, remained optimistic, planning a four-day team retreat to Noosa to “let the dust settle” before the third Test in Adelaide on December 17.
Captain Stokes, meanwhile, questioned the team’s mentality, urging sharper decision-making.
As fans and critics dissect McCullum’s unconventional reasoning, England face an uphill battle to salvage pride in a series slipping away fast.