'Won't be afraid to play all spinners,' says Brendon McCullum ahead of India vs England 2nd Test

Updated : Jan 30, 2024 17:31
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Editorji News Desk

Brendon McCullum is known for his out-of-the-box thinking and making bold calls. The England Test coach is open to playing all spinners in the 2nd Test vs India.

Spinner Shoaib Bashir was the front-runner to play in the 1st Test but he couldn't reach India due to visa issues. He is now here and may play the Vizag Test.

Speaking to SENZ Radio, McCullum said, 'He (Bashir) was obviously with us in the camp in Abu Dhabi and he really impressed with his skill sets. He fits in the group. He, again, like Tom Hartley, has little first-class experience, but we thought his skill could help us in here.'

'He turned up at a perfect time, really (in Hyderabad). When he arrived, the guys gave him a huge cheer and he got to witness something pretty special with the fellas bowling us to a Test win. Look, he comes into calculations for the next Test match,' McCullum added.

'If the wickets continue to spin as much as what we saw in the first Test as the series goes on, we won’t be afraid to play all spinners or a balance of what we’ve got,' he concluded.

18 out of the 20 Indian wickets fell to the spinners in the 1st Test, with the other two being runouts. As a result, England stunned the hosts in Hyderabad by winning the Test by 28 runs.

Brendon McCullum

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