Despite a two-wicket setback against Australia, England head coach Brendon McCullum feels the first Ashes Test “validated” his team’s aggressive strategy and expects his side to “go a little harder” in the second Test at Lord’s next week.

ESPNcricinfo quoted McCullum, as saying –

“I think we played our style, which is to try and take the game forward. 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.”

McCullum added – “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.”

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McCullum further added –

“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.”