McCullum Calls for Lively Lord's Pitch After England's Edgbaston Loss

BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND - JULY 06: Akash Deep of India shakes hands with Brendon McCullum the England Head Coach after taking the last wicket and his 6th of the innings as India win by 336 runs during day five of the Second Rothesay Test Match between England and India at Edgbaston on July 06, 2025 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Following England's crushing defeat at Edgbaston, coach Brendon McCullum has echoed captain Ben Stokes' sentiment regarding the pitch, describing it as a "subcontinent pitch." Now, McCullum is hoping for a livelier surface at Lord's for the third Test, starting Thursday.

McCullum expressed his desire for a pitch with "more bounce and pace," potentially offering some lateral movement for the bowlers, according to The Telegraph.

India's commanding 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 are also strong indications that Jofra Archer could make his return to Test cricket after a four-year absence.

The England coach conceded that they misjudged the Edgbaston pitch and praised the Indian bowlers for exploiting the conditions effectively.

"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."

“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.”