Brendon McCullum 's time as England Test coach has got off to a perfect start, with his side completing a stunning 3-0 series win over New Zealand.
After taking charge of a side that had won just one of their last 17 Test matches, McCullum has got England playing a positive and attacking brand of cricket. And that translated into three excellent wins over the World Test Champions, with England recording their first series whitewash at home since 2013.
They also became the first side to successfully chase down a total of over 250 three times in a single series. McCullum's philosophy has already become known as 'Bazball' and Mirror Sport has taken a look at five of the biggest changes to this England team.
Combining with Stokes
Most importantly for England, McCullum's philosophy aligns perfectly with new captain Ben Stokes, who has stated his side are "in the entertainment business not the sporting business". Together, the pair have empowered England's players to always take the positive option, with Stokes leading by example throughout the series.
In the first Test at Lord's, he kickstarted England's successful run chase after they had been reduced to 69-4 in pursuit of 277. His innings of 54 was rather bizarre in truth, containing eight boundaries and a fair slice of luck, but it was a clear indicator of how he and McCullum wanted England to play and helped Joe Root serenely guide them to victory with an unbeaten 115.
He went on to score an unbeaten 75 in the win at Trent Bridge and an ultra-aggressive 18 at Headingley, but it was the innings at Lord's that perfectly encapsulated what Stokes and McCullum want from their players. And it rubbed off on those around him, with Jonny Bairstow scoring two brilliant hundreds at over a run a ball and even Joe Root reverse-scooping both Tim Southee and Neil Wagner for six.
It is vitally important that both the coach and captain are on the same page and England certainly have that with McCullum and Stokes.
Empowering Pope
At the start of the series, England made a massive call when they decided to install Ollie Pope at number three. Pope had an outstanding first-class record for Surrey, but had failed to translate that for England and had never batted at three before.
However, McCullum, Stokes and co gave Pope their firm backing and he delivered, striking 267 runs at an average of 44.50 in the series. In the process, Pope scored his first Test century in England, a magnificent 145 at Trent Bridge, and a crucial 82 in the run chase at Headingley.
Speaking after his hundred at Trent Bridge, hope hailed McCullum and Stokes' influence. "You're going to get out somehow and I think that's allowed me to play my game and give me a bit more confidence, and start seeing everything in a little bit more positive light, in the Test arena, because that's what I do for Surrey and that's what has brought me a lot of success," he said.
England will now be hoping he can build on this and make the number three spot his own.
Leach delivers
Jack Leach has had something of a stop-start Test career since making his debut in 2018, with health problems and an apparent lack of confidence in his abilities affecting him. Leach did not play a single Test in 2020, before becoming England's leading wicket taker when they toured Sri Lanka and India in early 2021.
However, he was dropped that summer and did not play a single Test at home, before returning to the side in the Ashes and struggling. Now in his 30s, Leach was facing a make or break summer for England and grew with confidence as the New Zealand series wore on.
He was consistently backed by England, who immediately restored him to the side after he was forced out of the first Test with a concussion. The third Test at Headingley was a fitting reward for both Leach and England as he picked up two five-wicket hauls, his first at home.
Stokes brought him into the attack early, bowled him for long spells and refused to push the field back after he had been hit for a few boundaries. "I think the biggest thing is having belief in myself and that's what Ben and Baz have really helped me with," Leach revealed. "It looks like that's starting to pay off.
"I've never experienced anything like the atmosphere in that dressing room, this positive way of doing things. In the long format of the game, with teams I've played in, a lot of the decisions are made around negativity, but this new way is extremely positive. It feels like you're always pushing for that win."
Electric in the field
England were alert and electric in the field all series, taking inspiration from the way McCullum fielded during his playing career. In the first Test, Leach unfortunately suffered a concussion after showing McCullum-esque commitment in the field.
"We all know that one of Baz's things is for fielders to chase the ball right to the boundary," Stokes said. "He made a very good point, and made Leachy stand out, that little thing epitomises what this team is all about."
There were also other little moments of brilliance in the field, such as Pope's run out of Colin de Grandhomme at Lord's which formed part of the team hat trick that saw the momentum swing in England's favour. England are far from the finished article in the field, having dropped numerous catches during the series, but they are much more committed and alert and that has begun to pay dividends.
Always trying to win
All of England's fourth innings run chases were excellent, but the first one came in stark contrast to how the previous regime operated. England successfully chased down 277 to win the match, having declined to even attempt a similar chase of 273 against the same opponents on the same ground almost exactly a year earlier.
On that occasion, Dom Sibley batted for over five hours to score an unbeaten 60, with then skipper Root claiming that going for the win was not "realistic". However, under McCullum have vowed to try and chase down any total and they did so in excellent fashion three times this series.
Obviously, things will not always go to plan for England, but rather than dreading the day their approach backfires, McCullum is instead looking at it as a positive. He said: "I hope we take it too far because then we'll know exactly where that line is. Until you do that, you’re not really sure."
