Ahead of the India Tests, England head coach Brendon McCullum says he wants his side ‘to be bravest’ as a huge challenge awaits Ben Stokes & Co. The visiting side have a herculean task to beat India, who remain unbeaten in whites at home since their 1-2 loss to England in 2012/13. McCullum feels confident of the side’s preparations in Abu Dhabi and emphasised that ‘when to stick and when to twist’ the nuances of the game will be a fascinating part.

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Speaking to the reporters in Hyderabad, McCullum said, “India is the land of opportunity and that’s what sits in front of us now, we’ll take the positive option. Other teams might be better, but we want to be the bravest. We’ve got to do that and that’s got to be factored into selection, too.”

The New Zealander opined, “The guys walked away from Abu Dhabi with a huge amount of confidence that we’ve prepared as well as we possibly can. In the end, all you’re trying to do is get guys in the frame of mind where they feel 10 foot tall and bulletproof when they walk out to play.”

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McCullum added, “We’ve got to take 20 wickets with the ball in each Test and we’ve got to get one more run than them with the bat. It’s not rocket science but it will be the nuances of the game and when to stick and when to twist which will be the fascinating part.”

It will all boil down to England’s ultra-aggressive batting approach against India’s world-class spin trio in the upcoming five Tests. The first Test commences at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Jan 25 (Thursday).

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