Brendon McCullum: Edgbaston defeat ‘validated our style of play’

England scored at 4.61 runs per over in the match and attacked Australia’s bowlers from the very first ball, when Zak Crawley thumped Pat Cummins through the covers for four. But Australia got over the line on the final day using old-school methods, scoring at 3.20 runs per over across the five days and regularly posting defensive fields.

“I think we played our style, which is to try and take the game forward,” McCullum, England’s Test coach, said. “I thought Australia were happy playing their style as well, which ultimately led to success for them and I’m sure they’ll continue with those tactics right throughout the series. I think it’s set up to be quite a fascinating contest.

“Obviously you’d rather have won the game – that’s just the nature of sport sometimes – but I thought the way that we played, I think it’s validated our style of play as well. If we’d have got a little bit of the rub of the green then we might have been on the other side of it.

“I thought it was a cracking Test match and two very different styles of play. But like a heavyweight boxing match, not everyone has to fight the same. I thought it was a great Test match and I’m sure everyone that watched all around the world, and everyone who was here at Edgbaston as well, absolutely loved it – and that’s us included.”

McCullum does not expect either team to make any significant changes to their respective approaches in the second Test at Lord’s, which starts on June 28 – though suggested that, if anything, England could be more aggressive than at Edgbaston.

“Both teams have got a little bit of time to digest what’s unfolded over the last five days and maybe slightly tweak a couple of things along the way,” McCullum said. “But I’d expect that they’d carry on doing the same sort of playing [style] that they executed here, and we’ll be doing the same.

“I guess I had a bit of an inkling that they might try and put some sweepers out – and it’s hard to argue because they won the Test match, right? I’m sure they’ll stick solid to that strategy all the way through, which I think’s great because we’ll go a little harder and they’ll probably stick to their strategy.

“I’m really proud of the boys. A couple of things didn’t quite go our way at times, but that’s the nature of the game. We firmly believe, the skipper and I, that this gives us our greatest chance. Everyone that has watched this game over the last five days, I would be very surprised if there were too many people who disagree with how we go about playing.

“Everyone was left entertained and you’re not always going to win – and we understand that. We want to keep getting up and throwing punches as a team, and I’m really proud of the way that the guys played.”

He also predicted that the fervent atmosphere of the first Test – embodied by Ollie Robinson, who is expected to escape censure for his send-off towards Usman Khawaja – will extend throughout the series. “I think it happens in all international cricket,” McCullum said. “It’s two competitive teams going at it and desperate to try and get a performance for their countries.

“So you’re always going to get a little bit of a boil-over of emotions. I don’t think it crossed the line, from what the match referees were saying: they were pretty content with it, as far as I’m aware. But I’m sure it’ll be a hotly contested series right throughout and it won’t be the last time we’re probably talking about it.”