England head coach Brendon McCullum offered a frank assessment of his side’s heavy defeat in the second Test at Edgbaston, admitting that England “ran second for five days” against a dominant Indian outfit. While the series now stands level at 1-1, McCullum was quick to acknowledge the uphill task that awaits his side in the third Test at Lord’s—especially with Jasprit Bumrah set to return.

India’s pace spearhead was rested for the Edgbaston Test as part of his workload management, watching from the sidelines as his teammates steamrolled England by a whopping 336 runs, securing their maiden Test victory at the iconic Birmingham venue. Indian captain Shubman Gill later confirmed that Bumrah is all set to return at the home of cricket, adding an extra layer of challenge for the hosts.

“Bumrah will more than likely come back in for the next one,” Brendon McCullum told ESPNCricinfo. “So we’ve just got to make sure we’re well planned, well prepared, and ready for the next challenge. Lord’s will be a different surface—probably a good thing for us.”

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Reflecting on the match, Brendon McCullum didn’t shy away from admitting tactical misjudgments, especially at the toss. “As the game unfolded, we probably looked back and thought—did we miss an opportunity there? And that’s probably fair,” he said. “We didn’t expect the wicket to play the way it did. We had them 200 for five, but couldn’t capitalise, and once they posted 580, we were always playing catch-up.”

He credited India for executing their plans to perfection, particularly highlighting Shubman Gill’s elite-level batting and the collective performance of the visitors.

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Brendon McCullum also reserved special praise for Akash Deep, who claimed his maiden five-wicket haul and returned match figures of 6/99 on the final day. “I thought Akash Deep bowled outstandingly,” he said. “Growing up on these kinds of pitches, he knew exactly how to hit the right lengths and exploit the surface. He was exceptional.”

With the third Test at Lord’s looming and India’s pace battery set to be reinforced by Bumrah, McCullum knows England must regroup quickly—because the margin for error is shrinking fast.