Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ England Test record since taking charge in 2022

Defeat in India is the pair’s first series loss.

Ben Stokes, left, suffered a first series loss as England captain (Ajit Solanki/AP) (AP)

England’s fourth-Test defeat to India condemned them to a first series loss under the leadership of coach Brendon McCullum and captain Ben Stokes.

Here, the PA news agency looks at the pair’s record since taking charge in 2022.

First setback

• June 2022: England 3 New Zealand 0
• August-September 2002: England 2 South Africa 1
• December 2022: Pakistan 0 England 3
• February 2023: New Zealand 1 England 1
• June-July 2023: England 2 Australia 2
• January-February 2024: India 3 England 1*

The Stokes-McCullum era began with a spectacular series win over New Zealand in June 2022, England chasing down fourth-innings targets of 277, 299 and 296 to win all three Tests.

They lost the first Test against South Africa later that summer by an innings but responded in kind in the second en route to a 2-1 series win.

A first-innings total of 657 in less than four sessions set the tone for a 3-0 win away to Pakistan in the winter and they then shared a series in New Zealand 1-1.

Last summer’s Ashes were also drawn, 2-2, with Australia retaining the urn but both teams emerging with pride and credit from a thrilling series.

Stokes and McCullum’s side also won a rearranged fifth Test against India in July 2022, which completed the previous summer’s series as a 2-2 draw, and beat Ireland in a one-off Test ahead of the Ashes.

Captain marvel

Stokes still has a 60.9 per cent winning record in Test matches as captain, behind only WG Grace (61.5 per cent) among Englishmen with at least 10 Tests in the role.

He has won 14, lost eight and drawn one of 23 Tests, including one while deputising as captain for Joe Root in 2020.

His personal contributions have been impressive, with 1,342 runs as skipper at an average of 36.27 and a strike rate of 65.62 – up on the respective marks of 35.77 and 57.54 when not captaining the side.

That ranks him fourth among England run-scorers under his captaincy, behind Root (1,737), Zak Crawley (1,531) and Ollie Pope (1,413).

While his bowling has been limited by injuries, his 29 wickets as captain have come at an average of 28.17 – far below his prior rate of 32.74.