McCullum Calls for Lively Lord's Pitch After England's Edgbaston Defeat to India

Following England's crushing defeat to India at Edgbaston, head coach Brendon McCullum has voiced his desire for a livelier pitch at Lord's for the upcoming third Test. This comes after Ben Stokes described the Edgbaston surface as being akin to a "subcontinent pitch."

McCullum is hoping for a pitch with more pace and bounce at Lord's.

Speaking to The Telegraph, McCullum expressed his hope for a pitch that offers "a bit more pace, a bit more bounce, and maybe a little bit of sideways" movement.

India's dominant 337-run victory in the second Test leveled the five-match series at 1-1.

England has bolstered their squad with the addition of Gus Atkinson. There is also speculation that Jofra Archer may make his return to Test cricket after a four-year absence.

The England coach acknowledged that they misread the Edgbaston pitch. He praised the Indian bowlers for their effective use of the conditions. He said the pitch was more akin to one found on the subcontinent.

"Obviously we made the decision to bowl first," McCullum stated. "We were thinking that the pitch would get better as the game went on, and we probably got that one wrong. We saw that it was probably more of a subcontinent-type pitch, and I thought India were exceptional."

He particularly lauded Shubman Gill's batting performance. He also acknowledged the effectiveness of the Indian bowlers, especially Akash Deep, who exploited the conditions to their advantage.

"They played brilliantly with the bat in hand. Shubman Gill was batting at an elite level. Obviously, the way they bowled — Akash Deep in particular — they’ve grown up playing on those sorts of surfaces, where you’ve got to slam that slightly fuller length, and us bowling first presented them with those opportunities. Obviously, the footmarks started to create some issues as well. You don’t always get every decision right.”