Brisbane, Dec 7 (NationPress) England's head coach Brendon McCullum expressed that his team might have overtrained before suffering a significant eight-wicket loss to Australia in the second Ashes Test at the Gabba. Despite a resilient 96-run seventh wicket partnership between Ben Stokes and Will Jacks on day four, England was outperformed in all areas and now finds themselves 2-0 down in the series.

"We conducted five to ten training sessions in the lead-up to this match. There’s often a tendency to overprepare to compensate for previous shortcomings. If anything, we practiced too much. As we all know, success in this sport is determined by mental fortitude," McCullum stated during an interview with BBC Test Match Special after the match.

He further noted that England needs to excel in every facet to challenge Australia effectively in the upcoming three Ashes matches in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney. "It's disappointing to be trailing 2-0. In a five-match series, this puts us in a difficult position. We’ve faced challenges before, and it’s crucial to stay united as a team while addressing the flaws we've displayed in the last two Tests," he added.

"When touring Australia, you cannot afford to perform below your best. It's essential to seize each opportunity. There were moments in this Test where we had the advantage with the bat but failed to capitalize on it," he explained.

"We also struggled with our bowling execution and had issues with catching. It’s exceedingly difficult to defeat Australia at home if you’re deficient in these critical areas," he elaborated.

McCullum also pointed out that England struggled to adapt to the Brisbane conditions during the day-night Test. "We have areas to improve upon and time to do so. We’ve been in tough spots before, and it’s vital not to wallow in self-pity. We must lift ourselves and strive for better outcomes in the next match," he concluded.

"We were not at our peak, and to succeed against Australia in their home conditions, we need to excel across all three disciplines. This is a harsh truth we must acknowledge. We recognize the necessity to improve and adapt more swiftly to the conditions in Adelaide. Our slow adjustment here was evident, especially in the second innings, where the lengths bowled and their adjustments put us under significant pressure. We need to focus on the positives from this loss while addressing the negatives," he said.

"We have time to regroup, and we must not lose hope. We have a chance to recover and demonstrate our improvement in just nine days," McCullum concluded.