Abu Dhabi [UAE], February 6 (ANI): England Test head coach Brendon McCullum declared that his side will “drop the shoulder and go hard” against India in the third Test when they return from a six-day break in Abu Dhabi.
The head coach also outlined England’s plan for their mid-series break, admitting that there won’t be a lot of training for an eight-day Abu Dhabi gap.
England’s defeat in the second Test against India in Visakhapatnam has been followed by additional time in their favoured desert getaway, with the team electing to leave the nation until three days before the series resumes at 1-1 in Rajkot on February 15.
“There will not be a whole lot of training. The boys have worked incredibly hard…keeping in mind they all came here with a lot of cricket under their belts as well,” said Brendon McCullum of the mini-break as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
England will return on February 12, arriving in Rajkot in the evening, followed by two days of preparation before the third Test.
“We have had plenty of training days, two varying Test matches, and this is an opportunity to step away from the heat of the battle. I was talking to Rahul Dravid (India head coach) and he mentioned all his boys are shooting home as well. Home for us is a little way away, so we chose Abu Dhabi, and we are going to enjoy the families. Then when we get to Rajkot, we drop the shoulder and go hard,” he added.
“We sit 1-1 which is a fair reflection that we’re in the contest. We’ve played some really good cricket over the last two Test matches. Yes, we have come out on the wrong side of it here, but we got it across the line in the first one. The conviction about how we go about it is as strong as it ever has been. We have done some really good things over the last couple of weeks,” said the England coach.
With the five-match series levelled at 1-1, the action now heads to Rajkot for the third Test, starting February 15. (ANI)
