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Brendon McCullum has defended England’s training schedule after criticism of his side’s work ethic during their 3-0 one-day international series defeat by India.

England’s practice, or lack of it, was questioned on commentary by Ravi Shastri and Kevin Pietersen during the final ODI, with the former claiming to have heard that the visitors had only one net session on the entire trip, “if not any”. That specific claim is inaccurate – “totally incorrect,” McCullum said – with England having held multiple sessions during the preceding Twenty20 series and before the first ODI. They did not train before the second and third ODIs, with a mounting injury list cited to explain the decision amid a demanding itinerary.