India may have travelled to the United Kingdom without experienced players such as Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, and Ravichandran Ashwin, but England head coach Brendon McCullum understands how dangerous the youngsters in Shubman Gill’s camp can be in the upcoming five-match Test series.
Shubman will head the Indian Test side for the first time after Rohit Sharma announced his retirement from the red-ball format last month. He faces a daunting assignment in getting India off to a good start in the World Test Championship 2025-2027 cycle against a formidable England side.
“They’re an outstanding cricketing nation that will come here with high hopes, and we’re looking forward to seeing them,” McCullum told Cricket.
Following a comprehensive victory over the West Indies in three ODIs and as many T20Is lately, the Three Lions have moved their emphasis to the longest format of the game, with a series against India beginning on June 20 and the Ashes later this year.
“The boys need to renew. “We know where we want to go as a Test team,” former New Zealand captain McCullum stated.
While England will be without Mark Wood, Gus Atkinson, and Jofra Archer in the first Test, McCullum believes there is still enough ammunition in the tank.
“There are some quality bowlers that are unavailable, but we have a nice, varied bowling attack with Chris Woakes, Sam Cook, Brydon Carse, Jamie Overton, Josh Tongue for the high-pace element,” the former New Zealand captain told reporters. “We have Shoaib Bashir, who is becoming better at Test cricket every day. We know we will be tested against India, and they will come prepared.”
Jacob Bethell is already becoming a leader in the locker room: Brendon McCullum
McCullum was also pleased to see how 21-year-old Jacob Bethell is improving across formats and emerging as a leader in the dressing room.
“Bethell has a good life ahead of him.” For a 21-year-old, he has a lot of poise, which allows him to be present and showcase his flare and talent. The world is his oyster. “He’s already becoming a leader in the locker room, which is exactly what you want,” he said.
McCullum also identified Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett as two promising cricketers to look forward to in the highly anticipated five-match Test series.
“Jamie Smith and Ben Duckett have reminded me of Duckett and Zak Crawley during the Test match. We know how excellent Duckett is, but Smith’s power is incredible. “These guys are fearless, and if you combine that with the craft, you hope to get a well-rounded player,” McCullum said.
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