Head coach Brendon McCullum feels England ‘have a massive chance’ to get back into the Ashes series when they face Australia in the third Test in Adelaide this week.
Ben Stokes’ tourists are on the back foot and 2-0 down after eight-wicket defeats in Perth and Brisbane – but McCullum is in bullish mood ahead of the third Test in a five-match series.
England have been licking their wounds from back-to-back maulings by the Aussies – and paceman Mitchell Starc in particular – on a mini-break in Noosa.
Important period
And McCullum insists his players are refreshed and ready for battle after the break, telling Sky Sports: “It was excellent. It was planned a year ago, and for us, it was quite an important period.
“Not to step away from the game but just give ourselves a chance to allow some of the lessons we’ve learned over the last couple of weeks to settle and to recalibrate a little bit. Spend time away from the heat of battle and spend a bit of time together.
“I think now the freshness which we’re coming into this Test with will hopefully pay off. There’s no guarantees, but that’s the plan.
Massive chance
“The boys are excited to get back to training, and look forward to the next few days of prep.
“I firmly believe that if we play our best cricket, we have a massive chance in this Test match.
“If we do that, then the narrative changes and the series momentum changes.”
Change in momentum
Joe Root backed up his coach’s conviction, saying the players are drawing on their experience of fighting back from 2-0 down to secure a 2-2 drawn series on English soil in 2023.
The England batter, still basking in the glory of finally scoring an Ashes century Down Under, said in an interview with Sky Sports pundit Nasser Hussain: “The whole complexion of the series changes if we win this week.
“I know it was in our own conditions, but the way we played from Headingley onwards [in 2023], it was like a completely different team. It’s easy to forget that.
“It might be in different conditions but the game doesn’t change. If anything, it becomes more simplified out here: it doesn’t swing as much, the pitches don’t deteriorate as much as in England.
Handle big moments
“All we need to do is be better for longer. When we have got it right in this series, we have looked very dangerous but we have to put it together for a long period of time.
“This is a place where you have to be hardened, resilient and be able to withstand pressure for long periods of time but I think this group is definitely capable of doing that.
“If you are to win here, you have to handle big moments.
“If we come out with our best stuff and learn from some of the experiences throughout the tour, then I think we have a great opportunity to win here.”
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