India vs England: Brendon McCullum delighted by Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed in 'heavyweight fight'
Brendon McCullum says "there won't be a whole lot of training" as England unwind in Abu Dhabi ahead of third Test vs India from February 15; series locked at 1-1 after India's 106-run win in Vizag, a game in which England spinners Tom Hartley, Shoaib Bashir and Rehan Ahmed impressed
Tuesday 6 February 2024 13:29, UK
England Test coach Brendon McCullum says he is delighted by inexperienced spinners Shoaib Bashir, Tom Hartley and Rehan Ahmed, with the trio showing "they've got what it takes" in a "heavyweight fight" versus India.
Off-spinner Bashir, left-armer Hartley and leg-spinner Rehan took 15 wickets combined in Vizag as England bowled India out twice before slipping to a 106-run defeat that levelled the five-match series at 1-1.
Bashir claimed four wickets on debut, Hartley five in just his second Test, and Rehan six in only his third match, with the bowlers impressing in the absence of senior spinner Jack Leach to a knee injury he sustained in the series opener at Hyderabad.
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McCullum believes his slow bowlers have shown their "skill and passion" and hailed captain Ben Stokes for his management of them as he told reporters "there won't be a whole lot of training" for England during a break in Abu Dhabi ahead of the third Test in Rajkot from Thursday February 15.
McCullum: Stokes' empathy has helped young spinners
The New Zealander said of his side: "There are heaps of positives. Our spin bowling unit, albeit young and raw, have shown they've got what it takes.
"The one thing I guess you don't know about in the heat of battle is the character the guys possess.
"The development of the young spinners has been fantastic. Not just their skillset but their passion to want the big moments.
"I am absolutely delighted in how they have performed with very little experience under their belt. You look around and you just see guys who look like they belong at international level.
"I put it down to the skipper. He has total conviction in his methods and is incredibly empathetic towards people.
"He spends time with them to ensure his messaging is really consistent, in his body language and behaviours.
"He backs up what he says to them off the field with opportunities on the field. He is desperate to lead this team and he wants to take this team to whatever level he can take it.
"We looked at India's makeup - (Ravichandran) Ashwin, (Ravindra) Jadeja and Axar Patel - and the points of difference that normal spinners do not possess [in terms of release points and bowling speeds].
"We tried to replicate that as best we could. So far so good. We will see where it lands [in the rest of the series] but it is encouraging to see."
McCullum: It's going to be one hell of a series
McCullum added: "What we have seen is that both teams will give as good as they get. I'm sure everyone around the world that has supported this series so far has been totally entertained and enthralled by the contest.
"What makes a great heavyweight fight is a contrast in styles and conviction in those methods. We've got conviction in ours and India have got conviction in theirs.
"I think 1-1 is probably a fair reflection of where the contest is at the moment and, if the next three Tests are anything like these last two, it's going to be one hell of a series.
"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. Then when we get to Rajkot, we drop the shoulder and go hard."
On whether Leach - who was one of a number of players to pick up an illness in the second Test - will be fit for the Rajkot Test, McCullum said: "[His knee] It is still pretty inflamed, but I don't really know because he has been crook.
"His knee is pretty bad and it was remarkable he got through what he did in the first Test match. Hopefully the illness will subside and we will see where Leachy sits for the next one."
Follow over-by-over text commentary from the third Test between India and England, in Rajkot, from Thursday February 15 live on skysports.com and the Sky Sports App (first ball at 4am).
England Test series in India 2024
- First Test, Hyderabad: England beat India by 28 runs
- Second Test, Vizag: India beat England by 106 runs
- Third Test - February 15-19 (Rajkot)
- Fourth Test - February 23-27 (Ranchi)
- Fifth Test - March 7-11 (Dharamshala)
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