Ashes 2023: It’s going to galvanize the unit – Head coach Brendon McCullum on Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping

England head coach Brendon McCullum feels Jonny Bairstow’s controversial stumping is going to galvanize the team for the remaining three Ashes Test against Australia. Bairstow was stumped by Alex Carey when the right-hander left his crease after the final ball of the over even before the umpire called ‘over’ and the ball was still in play as it was not called dead.

However, McCullum revealed the team is not happy with the decision and it is going to pump them up for the rest of the Ashes. Stuart Broad, who came into bat next, was not at all happy with Australian players and had a lot to say to the opposition.

England trail by 2-0 after losing the second Test match at Lord’s by 43 runs and the hosts will need to turn a corner in the rest of the matches.

“I don’t know if it’s anger but the unit is galvanised. There are times as a coach where you’ve got to reduce emotion because it’s going to bubble over and you can make poor decisions, but there’s times when you allow emotion to go because it’s going to galvanise the unit,” said McCullum while talking to BBC Sport.

“That’s what I felt this emotion did for the side. I looked around the group and the guys were a little upset. If that helps us to win those key moments in the next Test, then I’m all for it,” added McCullum.

On the other hand, the former New Zealand skipper added England has to improve on certain areas for the third Test match. McCullum admitted that they haven’t been able to clinch crucial stages of the match and it has made a huge difference.

“We’ve got to polish up a couple of the areas where the game has sat on a knife-edge and we haven’t been able to grab it. We do talk a lot about being able to absorb pressure, identifying when the time is to put pressure back on, being courageous enough to do so. There’s times when you will get it wrong, you can’t play the perfect game,” the English head coach said.

“All we will encourage guys to do is make the decisions that they feel are right at that point in time. I don’t think we are far away – the margins of the Test matches suggest that. We have to make sure morale stays high, the unit is galvanised and we adapt to conditions we are presented with at Headingley as quickly as we can. If we do that, we will give ourselves the best chance,” concluded McCullum.

The third Ashes Test will be played at Leeds, Headingley from Thursday onwards.