Brendon McCullum Reflects on India Series: "We Know We've Got Room to Improve"

England head coach Brendon McCullum has admitted that his side still has “room to improve” following a thrilling 2-2 series draw against India in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy. India claimed a dramatic six-run victory in the fifth Test at The Kia Oval — their narrowest win by runs in Test history — to level the series, dashing England's hopes of their first Test series win over India since 2018.

The series, which saw momentum swing between both sides, concluded after India completed the win in just 56 minutes of play on the final morning. England, chasing 374, collapsed from 301 for 3 to 367 all out, losing 7 wickets for just 66 runs.

“It’s disappointing not to get the result, but I'm incredibly proud of the guys,” McCullum said. “It’s been a combative series that’s taken its toll with injuries. Some of the best players from both sides have gone home hurt. To finish 2-2 after that kind of effort — there's a lot to be proud of.”

A Series to Reflect On

The result means England are still yet to win a Test series against either India or Australia under the leadership of McCullum and captain Ben Stokes. With the Ashes on the horizon — the first Test begins in Perth this November — McCullum emphasised that the coming weeks will be about reflection and refinement.

“We'll let this one sit, we'll digest it,” he said. “We’ll look at what went well and what we can improve. We’re in the middle of what we always knew would be an unbelievable 12 months of Test cricket.”

Despite some standout performances, England were left to rue missed opportunities — particularly in the field. McCullum highlighted six dropped catches during India’s second innings at The Oval, costing a costly 152 runs.

“We didn't catch very well in this game, but over the last few years we've been an excellent fielding unit,” McCullum acknowledged. “Sometimes dropped catches happen and one leads to another. If we had held our catches, we might have been on the other side of the result. That's life.”

“India Deserved It”

McCullum was full of praise for India’s resilience and grit, especially in the decisive final Test. Mohammed Siraj, who bowled at 90mph deep into his 30th over, was singled out for special mention.

“As much as we got ourselves in a winning position in this Test match, I feel like they deserved to win,” McCullum said. “They played better cricket. Siraj bowled with the heart of a lion — an incredible effort that really summed up India’s fight.”

He described the five-match series as one of the most memorable of his coaching tenure.

“It had everything — confrontation, stalemates, passion, and pressure. We’re learning every time players are pushed into situations they haven’t been in before. That’s when the real growth happens.”

Looking Ahead

While England now shift focus to white-ball series against South Africa and Ireland in September, McCullum’s eyes are firmly on the Ashes. As the over-arching coach across formats, he’ll oversee upcoming preparations with an eye on fine-tuning ahead of the high-stakes clash with Australia.

“We’ll use the time wisely. There's lots to pick out as we give ourselves time for this to digest and work out areas we can look to improve for our next challenge.”

Series Summary:

Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy 2025

India won the 5th Test at The Oval by 6 runs
Series result: Drawn 2-2
England last won a series against India in 2018
England are still without a series win against India or Australia under McCullum-Stokes leadership