A major tactical error, according to England head coach Brendon McCullum, was a significant factor in their crushing loss in the second Test at Edgbaston. In discussing the defeat, McCullum acknowledged that the toss was where his team committed a fatal mistake in judgment, which ultimately cost them the game and allowed India to tie the series. India managed to recover from 200/5 in the first innings and score 587 thanks to Shubman Gill's amazing double century, while England let them do so on the flat pitch. The Indian combination of Mohammed Siraj and Akash Deep, on the other hand, grasped the task on the Edgbaston pitch, unlike the English pacers, and their outstanding bowling display helped the visitors establish a vital 180-run lead at the conclusion of the first innings.

Shubman and company utterly outplayed England throughout the Test to tie the series 1-1, scoring a massive 336 runs—their first at Edgbaston. By establishing a massive 608-run goal, they forced England out of their comfort zone and into the wall.

According to McCullum, they lost out on a chance at the toss and fell behind for the duration of the game.

"I think it's probably fair that as the game unfolded, we probably looked back on that toss and said did we miss an opportunity there," McCullum said to BBC Test Match Special.

England also decided to bowl first at Headingley and gave up more than 470 runs in the first innings, but they somehow managed to recover and win the game after a hard chase in the fourth innings. With their strategy, however, India was on the spot for five days after winning the toss, but they made the same mistake and failed to learn from it.

The English head coach admitted that they misread the pitch, and when they managed to put pressure on India by bringing half of their side down to 200 in the first innings, they simply failed to capitalize on it.

"We probably got it a little bit wrong because we didn't anticipate that the wicket would behave exactly as it did. But we had them 200 for 5, which we were unable to take advantage of, and when you win the toss and bowl, you are hoping that the opposition will score 580, which puts us behind the game from there.

For England, McCullum merely identifies positives.

In the second Test, the 303-run partnership between Jamie Smith and Harry Brook in the first innings was the sole positive for England. The pair retaliated with a tremendous attack, completely changing the course of the match. They established an outstanding 303-run sixth-wicket partnership, a record-breaking stand that not only rescued England from imminent danger but also guaranteed they would avoid the follow-on and score a respectable total.

Furthermore, McCullum described it as solely beneficial for England in the game, as it allowed them to stay in the contest.

"Only a superb collaboration between Jamie Smith and Harry Brook gave us any balance in the game over the course of the five days. "That's something we have to consider," he said.

The head coach, however, emphasized that England's approach is not inflexible, but acknowledged that a miscalculation of the Edgbaston pitch was a major factor in their loss. Although he acknowledged that a faulty pitch analysis led to choices that ultimately backfired and put England at a disadvantage from the outset, he also emphasized the team's strategic flexibility.

We don't stick to a strict agenda. We simply believed that the pitch could have improved throughout the five days, but we observed that it did not, he said.

Read Also: Gill’s India Send Strong Warning to England

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!