IND vs ENG 2024: “We weren’t quite good enough when it mattered” – Brendon McCullum

England head coach Brendon McCullum admitted they weren’t quite good enough when it mattered in the fourth Test match against India at Ranchi, which they lost by five wickets. England was in a commanding position after posting 353 runs on the board and reducing India to 177-7 in the first innings.

However, the England bowlers could not wipe out India’s tail in a jiffy as Dhruv Jurel added crucial runs while batting with the lower order. Jurel scored a fine knock of 90 runs and added a pivotal partnership of 76 runs with Kuldeep Yadav, who scored 28 runs. As a result, India was able to post 307 runs on the board, reducing England’s lead to 46.

It was the turning point in the game and then the visitors were skittled out for 145 runs in the second essay. England also had India in a spot of bother at 120-5 in the run-chase of 192 but Shubman Gill and Dhruv Jurel were able to get their team over the line with an alliance of 72 runs.

McCullum shared his disappointment at not being able to grab those opportunities but at the same time, he is proud of his players for putting India under pressure.

“We’re disappointed we’ve gone down in the series, but at the same time we’re really proud of the efforts of the guys.” said McCullum during his interaction with the press. “We’ve had our moments throughout this series, we’ve performed well at times and been outplayed in others. It’s been a great contest and you’ve got to acknowledge that India, at the times where the game has been sitting on the line, have really stepped up and performed.”

“We weren’t quite good enough when it mattered. Or India were better, to be honest, than us being not quite good enough. We’ve lost this series and we didn’t win the Ashes but we’re a better cricket team than we were 18 months ago and we’ve got an opportunity in the next 18 months to do some pretty special shit. I’m fizzing for it, to be honest.”

“Time on the tools, experience and just keep chiselling away at any of those rough edges which creep up every now and then, which is natural, and we’ll get there eventually.”

Meanwhile, Ben Stokes was expected to bowl in Ranchi but played as a pure batter. McCullum said Stokes will be available to bowl in Dharamshala.

“There’s a chance, yeah. There was a chance this week, but it was more due to conditions that he didn’t.”

The fifth and final Test match will be played at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala from March 7.