Brendon McCullum hailed England for drowning out the noise throughout their dominant T20 series victory over India but insisted that moving to the top of the world rankings was just the start.
England completed a 4-0 series sweep of the reigning world T20 champions with a comprehensive 56-run victory in Southampton, inspired by a record 233-run second-wicket partnership between Jos Buttler (131 off 64 balls) and captain Harry Brook (95 off 45).
The series, in addition to confirming England’s status as T20 cricket’s premier side, drew a definitive line under a tumultuous summer for English cricket, dominated by Ben Stokes’ retirement as Test captain.
For McCullum, his side’s ability to excel amid the scrutiny that has engulfed England in recent months made the victory all the sweeter.
“Coming into the series, things have been a bit noisy around English cricket, if we’re being honest,” McCullum told Sky Sports.
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Highlights from the fifth T20 international between England and India in Southampton
“To be able to put that aside and focus on the task at hand – competing against a very good Indian side who have been No 1 in the world for more than 1,600 days – and walk away 4-0 having scaled the summit, albeit by a small margin, is incredibly satisfying.
“The manner in which we did it – I thought we were incredibly clever with how we operated. Our tactics were bang on, our implementation was spot on, the leadership shown by Harry Brook and a number of other senior players was excellent.
“We were able to adapt to conditions and buy into what we were trying to achieve. It’s immensely satisfying. We’ll make sure we enjoy it tonight.”
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Watch the best of Jos Buttler’s incredible batting in the fifth T20I between England and India
McCullum: We won’t stop
McCullum’s position as England’s all-format head coach has come under intense scrutiny from all quarters in recent months.
Defeat to New Zealand in the first Test series following England’s Ashes debacle highlighted concerns on the field, while the events leading up to Stokes’ retirement once again put the spotlight on discipline under McCullum.
Asked whether, as a coach, he needed such a conclusive outcome against India, McCullum added: “I don’t know if I needed it. Sometimes you want to, but you don’t always get what you want.
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Harry Brook hit eight stunning sixes after being dropped by India, finishing on 95 not out for England
“I’ve always been someone who tries to deal in the here and now. We put the Test series to one side and started focusing on getting the very best out of the team in this T20 series. We’re very satisfied with what we’ve been able to achieve.
“We won’t stop. We’ll keep pushing ourselves to be a better team, able to sustain the level of performance we had throughout the series. But it’s nice to be able to take a breath with these lads and celebrate what’s been an incredible series.”
‘A clear line drawn’
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Former England captain Eoin Morgan says that Harry Brook and Brandon McCullum has drawn a clear line from the Test series after picking up a T20 series win over England
Eoin Morgan hailed McCullum and captain Brook for ensuring no baggage from the Test series defeat to New Zealand was carried into the T20 series.
“England’s backroom staff came into this series under pressure,” the former England white-ball captain said.
“The transition from one format to another has seen a clear line drawn from the Test series.
“Harry Brook and Brendon McCullum have not taken any baggage from one format to the other.”
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