McCullum Calls for Lively Lord's Pitch After Edgbaston Defeat; Stokes Echoes "Subcontinent" Surface Concerns

Following England's defeat in the second Test at Edgbaston, coach Brendon McCullum has voiced his desire for a livelier pitch at Lord's for the upcoming third Test. This comes after England captain Ben Stokes described the Edgbaston surface as a "subcontinent pitch."

Akash Deep congratulates Brendon McCullum following India's dominant win in the second Test.

McCullum is hoping for a pitch that offers more assistance to the seam bowlers. He told The Telegraph, "Something with a bit more pace, a bit more bounce, and maybe a little bit of sideways, hopefully.”

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 is also speculation that Jofra Archer might be in line for a Test comeback after a four-year absence.

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

“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," McCullum stated.

He further added, “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.”