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The Dodgers will celebrate the late, great Kobe Bryant at Dodger Stadium next month.

The team announced a flurry of promotional items for the second half of the 2025 MLB season, a collection ranging from a Teoscar Hernandez bobblehead to a Mookie Betts World Series ring. Included in that group is a bobblehead of Bryant, who is depicted wearing a Lakers jersey while holding a bat in a left-handed stance.

The bobblehead will be handed out to the first 40,000 fans in attendance at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 8—likely to honor the No. 8 jersey Bryant wore for the Lakers from 1997 to 2006 before he switched to No. 24.

Bryant grew up as a Mets fan in Philadelphia, but he was often seen at Dodger Stadium throughout his basketball career. Bryant also read the Dodgers lineup before Game 4 of the 2018 World Series against the Red Sox.

Bryant, along with his daughter Gianna, died Jan. 26, 2020 in a helicopter accident.

NEW YORK — He heard the boos in 2022, when he followed his American League MVP season with seven strikeouts in the first two games of the division series. He heard the gasps of his teammates when the Guardians intentionally walked Juan Soto to face him in the DS last year. He heard the questions over the last three years about whether, after carrying his teammates to October every year, he was letting them down when they got there. 

On Tuesday, as he watched his rocket to left field to see whether it would stay fair, save the Yankees’ season and rewrite his postseason legacy, Aaron Judge heard only silence. 

“You just got so much adrenaline pumping and you’re so locked in on the moment,” he said. The noise only turned back on for him as he rounded third base to tie a game the Yankees would win 9–6 to stave off elimination and force Game 4 of the ALDS against the Blue Jays. Toronto had led Game 3 6–1 in the top of the third; the comeback was tied for the second largest in MLB history to avoid postseason elimination, and also tied the second-largest postseason comeback in franchise history. 

The moment was both impossible and inevitable. The question surrounding Judge most of this year was not whether he would win his third AL MVP award in four years (almost certainly yes) but whether he would finally play to his talent level in the postseason (much less clear). He has always rejected that narrative, but ignoring it has not made it go away. Only producing moments like he did on Tuesday can do that. 

Just before the chaos, there was that instant of stillness, as Judge at the plate, Toronto reliever Louis Varland on the mound, Trent Grisham at first base and Austin Wells at second all wondered if this would be just another missed opportunity. “I felt like I made good contact, and I thought we had a chance,” Judge said. “You just never know with the wind, if it's going to push it foul, going to keep curving or not. But I guess a couple ghosts out there helped kind of keep that fair.”

Ghosts and wrists, perhaps. Even if the moment had been lesser, the shot would still have been impressive: It came off a 99.7-mph fastball 1.2 feet from the center of the plate, almost at his elbows. It was the first time since MLB began tracking such things in 2008 that a hitter homered off a pitch thrown so hard and also so far inside. Considering how much velocity has increased in recent years, there’s a good chance it’s the first time in MLB history.

No one who has ever tried to do that could believe it. 

“It would be in the catcher’s glove if I tried to do that,” said Wells.

“I can’t even comprehend,” said reliever Tim Hill. 

“We all went over the video in the dugout after that about 10 times,” said second baseman Jazz Chisholm. 

“I get yelled at for swinging at them out of the zone, but now I’m getting praised for it,” Judge said wryly, his only acknowledgement of the criticism. Mostly he stuck to well-worn phrases: “Just trying to do my job, what I’ve been trying to do all year. Not trying to do too much. Guy’s on base, drive him in. If no one’s on base, try to get a rally going. That’s all you can do.”

Four-wicket hauls from Murphy and Sangha in vain for Australia A

ESPNcricinfo staff05-Oct-2025Prabhsimran Singh’s 68-ball 102 was backed up by half-centuries from captain Shreyas Iyer and Riyan Parag as India A chased down 317 to clinch the three-match unofficial ODI series against Australia A 2-1 in Kanpur.India A were placed comfortably on 262 for 3 in the 35th over during their chase, but they lost five for 39 to lose grip. Vipraj Nigam and Arshdeep Singh then took them over the line, adding an unbroken 21 for the ninth wicket and helping India A win the decider by two wickets.Prabhsimran had set the tone for the victory by adding 83 for the first wicket with Abhishek Sharma in just 11.2 overs. Abhishek and Tilak Varma fell in quick succession but Prabhsimran continued to bat aggressively. He struck eight fours and seven sixes before falling to legspinner Tanveer Sangha in the 20th over.Iyer and Parag launched from the platform Prabhsimran had set, adding 117 off 92 balls for the fourth wicket. While Iyer hit 62 off 58 balls, his second fifty-plus score in three one-dayers ahead of the Australia tour, Parag smashed 62 off 55.However, Sangha dismissed both batters in successive overs, bringing Australia A back into the game. Sangha proceeded to remove allrounder Nishant Sindhu before Todd Murphy struck twice in two balls, sending back Ayush Badoni and Harshit Rana in the 42nd over. Nigam (24*) and Arshdeep (7*), though, ensured that India A closed out the chase with 24 balls to spare.Earlier, Arshdeep and Rana had Australia A in trouble, reducing them to 44 for 4. While Arshdeep removed openers Mackenzie Harvey and Jake Fraser-McGurk, Rana dismissed Harry Dixon and Lachlan Hearne. Cooper Connolly’s 49-ball 64 then resurrected Australia A’s innings, but the hosts found themselves in trouble again at 135 for 6 in 21 overs.Captain Jack Edwards and Liam Scott then added a 152-run stand off 123 balls for the seventh wicket to take Australia A forward. Some useful runs down the order helped Australia cross 300 before they were bowled out for 316 in 49.1 overs. Arshdeep and Harshit picked up three wickets apiece for India A.

It has been a classic case of second-season syndrome, with bowlers now wise to Fraser-McGurk’s strengths and planning accordingly

Matt Roller26-Apr-2025During the IPL’s run-glut last year, there was no combination more compelling than Jake Fraser-McGurk and the batting-friendly pitches of the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Fraser-McGurk batted five times in Delhi and belted 222 runs off 81 balls; more than half of them went either to, or over, the boundary.But 12 months on, Fraser-McGurk finds himself out of the Delhi Capitals (DC) XI. He played the first six games of the season but a tally of 55 runs – and a strike rate of 105.76 – made him dispensable. He was duly dropped, even with Faf du Plessis absent through injury. “It’s pretty obvious, isn’t it?” he said on Saturday, when asked to assess his form. “It’s not been great this year.”It has been classic second-season syndrome, with bowlers now wise to Fraser-McGurk’s strengths and planning accordingly. In DC’s opening game against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), Rishabh Pant stationed a fielder at long-off from the outset, daring Fraser-McGurk to try and clear him. He duly obliged, and was caught by the man on the rope.ESPNcricinfo LtdHe has only made it to double-figures in one innings, when he was dropped twice early on in making 38 off 32 balls against Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH). He showed a brief glimpse of his destructive best when hitting 4, 4, 6 off consecutive balls from legspinner Zeeshan Ansari, but chipped back a return catch off the fourth delivery in that sequence, seemingly caught between stalls.”Obviously I’d love to have some more runs next to my name, but that’s the way cricket is,” Fraser McGurk said. “Sometimes you go through highs and you go through lows. I think the IPL has seen it in both years for me personally: you saw last year, and now you’re seeing this year.”The most important thing is to stay level through the whole thing, no matter if you’re going well or not going so well. My role as a batter is to get the team off to a nice start, but it doesn’t mean I have to try and hit every ball for six. I’m working really hard through myself and my coaches and everyone around me on how I can get back into that team and succeed.”Related

Fraser-McGurk dropped, Owen earns maiden Australia T20 call-up

Kohli vs Rahul in Delhi as RCB take on DC

But staying level is easier said than done, not least at the age of 23. Fraser-McGurk was thrown into the world’s biggest T20 league last year and became an overnight superstar, but has struggled to maintain his form since: in his last 30 T20 innings around the world, he is averaging 14.56. He now has the pressure of an INR 9 crore (AUD $1.65 million) price tag, too.”It’s under more eyes,” he said. “More eyes are seeing this tournament than any [other]. It’s only been a few years where I’ve been a part of things like this, and staying level is something that I’ve not always been good at. It takes a bit of learning to do that. I think [it’s about] trying to focus on yourself and be as professional as you can.”You can’t be too results-based and outcome-based in this game, otherwise you just won’t get anywhere. You’ve just got to keep trusting the process and keep backing your strengths and trying to strengthen your weaknesses. Hopefully, one day, it turns around and then you kick start again. That’s the game.”It’s T20 cricket, it’s going to happen. Not everyone’s going to go out there and hit 50 off 20 balls every single time. It’s just how you find ways to get through that, those little bad periods and then come out on the other side stronger.””Obviously Ricky’s a wonderful coach and was a wonderful player, and I love playing under him, but Hemang is just the same”•Delhi CapitalsFraser-McGurk thrived under the public backing of his coach Ricky Ponting last year, but Ponting has since moved to Punjab Kings (PBKS) and has been replaced at DC by Hemang Badani. Fraser-McGurk has previously worked with Badani at Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, and said he has been fully supported by the team’s coaching staff and their captain, Axar Patel.”I mean, Ricky’s Ricky,” Fraser-McGurk said. “Obviously Ricky’s a wonderful coach and was a wonderful player, and I love playing under him, but Hemang is just the same. [Axar] always says ‘keep smiling’ to everyone – not just me. He is one of those guys who are so relaxed in all these situations.”He has also worked with DC’s mentor, Kevin Pietersen, who has encouraged him to “be ready” in case he gets another opportunity later in the season. “He keeps saying that it’s a long tournament, and we’ve got 14 games. We’re only halfway through now, so there’s so many more opportunities that could come.”‘Just be ready’ is what he’s saying. ‘Just keep being ready,’ and obviously [we are] working on some weaknesses, and things like that. The pitches are a bit different this year – a bit slower – [so we are] working on some things that we can get through that with. Hopefully, the next opportunity, [it] should be good.”

The Chicago Cubs crushed the St. Louis Cardinals on , jumping out to an 11-0 lead against their hated rival en route to their 54th victory of the year. This came a few hours after Matthew Boyd, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Kyle Tucker were confirmed as National League All-Stars. On paper it seems like it would be impossible for Cubs fans enjoying the moment at Wrigley Field to be annoyed by anything. But if you go to enough baseball games you're bound to see something you've never seen before and that includes 's Alex Cooper singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch.

The immensely popular podcast host sprang forth with a bold new take on a classic song. And it was not immediately beloved.

Now, just to be clear. There have been way worse attempts at the seventh-inning tradition over the years. How anyone can be brave enough to get on the microphone and fight against completely losing their breath midway though is beyond me, so respect to all those who try. But rarely, if ever, does the Wrigley Field faithful turn on the singer like this. It takes a lot for them to break the unwritten rule of always supporting the singer.

Not very nice.

Dylan Cease became the first big free agent to sign this offseason, agreeing with the Blue Jays on a seven-year, $210 million contract Wednesday. The deal makes the former Padre one of the highest-paid pitchers in the sport as he now earns a salary of $30 million per year.

Though Cease has had his share of inconsistencies, starting pitchers are the most valuable position in the sport and there are only so many with his talent level available. As such, he was able to cash in with a huge deal. After Cease, there are a number of pitchers that also could sign big deals in the coming years, including teammate Michael King, Ranger Suarez and most notably, two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal.

Now that Cease has agreed to sign with the Blue Jays, here’s a look at MLB’s highest-paid pitchers.

Who is the highest-paid pitcher in MLB?

The highest-paid pitcher is Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani, who earns a massive $70 million a year. Ohtani is of course also a designated hitter and four-time MVP, which is why his contract is so much bigger than any other pitcher.

Between pitchers who do not also hit, Phillies’ Zack Wheeler is the highest-paid starter on an annual basis.

Top 10 highest-paid pitchers in MLB

Here are the top-10 highest-paid pitchers in MLB ranked by annual salary.

Cease’s contract with the Blue Jays makes him the seventh-highest paid pitcher annually and tied for the fifth-highest based on total value. Since free agency began last year in 2024, Cease, Snell, Burnes, Crochet and Fried have all signed massive deals that have made them some of the league’s highest-paid pitchers.

Cease is notably the only player on the above list that has not made an All-Star Game. Though he has loads of talent, he has been inconsistent, going 8–12 with a 4.55 ERA in 2025.

How pitcher salaries have changed over time

Salaries for baseball players and pitchers have exponentially grown over time, and especially since the 1970s. In the 1960s and early 1970s, the highest-paid players were making low six figures. In 1979, Hall of Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan became MLB’s first player to earn at least $1 million in a season when he signed with the Astros on a four-year, $4.5 million deal.

By the late 1990s, pitchers like Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux were commanding upwards of $10 million per year. That number rose to over $20 million a decade later for Johan Santana, and even surpassed $30 million in the 2010s for pitchers like Zach Greinke and Clayton Kershaw. MLB’s top pitchers are primarily making between $30-$40 million per year still.

How pitcher salaries compare to other positions

Top starting pitchers are among the highest-paid players in baseball. Wheeler is MLB’s third-highest paid player on an annual basis, behind only Ohtani and Juan Soto, who makes an average of $51 million per season as part of his 15-year pact with the Mets. Of the 10 highest-paid players in MLB, five are pitchers––not including Ohtani.

Despite not being in the lineup every day, typically only playing once every five to six games, quality starting pitching is hard to come by, and thus top of the line starters are rewarded handsomely. Starters typically appear in a little more than 30 games per season, barring injury, whereas players like Soto, Aaron Judge, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Mike Trout, all of whom command huge contracts and rightfully so, are expected to play almost every game.

Cruz Beckham has fiercely defended his father David after Cristiano Ronaldo claimed he was physically superior to the retired Manchester United legend. The Al-Nassr star is still playing at the age of 40 and boasts an impressive physique, an area he feels he has the beating of Beckham. But the ex-England captain's youngest son has hit back at the Portuguese in savage style.

• Ronaldo puts down Beckham's 'normal' body

  The Portugal icon spoke with journalist Piers Morgan about his career, his future, and much more during a lengthy chat earlier this month. In that conversation, ex-Man Utd and Real Madrid man Beckham, 50, was also briefly brought up. Ronaldo was asked who he thought was the better-looking of the two, with the veteran striker not mincing his words. 

  "His face is beautiful, yeah, handsome face," he said. "The rest is normal, like it's normal. I'm not normal. I'm perfecto. For me [good] looking is not only the face but the whole package. Imagine Cristiano and a normal guy with red speedos on the Copacabana, you think I am not going to have a chance with nobody."

  When asked who would get more attention walking across the Copacabana, Ronaldo boasted: "Me, 100 per cent," before adding, "He's [Beckham] looking good. I like him, he is a guy who speaks good, I like him."

  The former Juventus star also suggested he is the most famous person on the planet.

  "We'll do a debate for the world: who's the most famous? Me or President Donald Trump? I think, in the world, even in small islands, they know me more than him," he said.

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• Cruz sticks up for father David Beckham

  In response to this, the 20-year-old Cruz referenced Ronaldo's "rest is normal" comments and put together a side-by-side shot of the Portuguese when he signed for United as a teenager in 2003; in addition to one of David in his 20s. In that image, Beckham appears to have the edge.

  Instagram

• Beckham still got it

  A few months before he turned 50, Beckham was on the front cover of Men's Health. The Inter Miami co-owner revealed that to this day, he still does two exercises: push ups and pull-ups. But it wasn't always something he enjoyed. 

  He told the magazine in February: "I hated pull-ups with a passion. I could literally only do two or three – three at most. Bob decided to focus on press-ups and pull-ups. I hated both, and now we do them most days. I didn’t have pecs until I met (trainer) Bob [Rich]. You could say I’ve gone up a few cup sizes as a result. I never really had a desire to, either. I wanted to be as lean as I could. But since retiring, I’ve put a bit of meat in my pecs."

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  What comes next for Ronaldo and Beckham?

  Aside from physique wars, Beckham will be focusing on Inter Miami's Major League Soccer Eastern Conference final clash against New York City on Saturday, which will see Lionel Messi take centre stage once again. Ronaldo, meanwhile, will be hoping his Al-Nassr side can beat Istiklol in the AFC Champions League 2 on Wednesday.

Manchester City are the closest challengers to Arsenal in the 2025/26 Premier League title race. We are only 11 games into the new season, with Pep Guardiola’s side four points behind that of his protege Mikel Arteta.

Last Sunday’s 3-0 thrashing of Liverpool at the Etihad Stadium was a performance which emphasised how deadly the Citizens can be at their best. It was certainly a statement to the Gunners, who might not have as much of easy a run at the title as one might think.

With the January transfer window around the corner, City might well look to add to their squad to boost their title hopes. Here is a look at their dream lineup if they manage to bring a few new faces into the club in January.

1 GK – Gianluigi Donnarumma

One of City’s marquee summer signings was Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma from Paris Saint-Germain. Despite signing James Trafford as well, the Euro 2020 winner has been Guardiola’s first choice.

He’s played 12 times so far for the East Mancunian outfit, keeping an impressive six clean sheets and conceding just seven goals. Standing at six-foot-five, he has a large wingspan, which makes it nigh on impossible to score past him.

This save against Bryan Mbeumo’s strike in the Manchester Derby, his debut for the club, was an example of how colossal he is.

2 RB – Ben White

The first hypothetical new addition to this City side comes at right-back, and, interestingly, from their title rivals Arsenal. Journalist Graeme Bailey recently revealed that City are “keeping tabs on his situation” at the Emirates Stadium. A price was not named by Bailey.

It has not quite been the season the England international may have expected. White has struggled for regular game time under Arteta, with Jurrien Timber the first-choice at right-sided full-back.

White has only played six games across all competitions, with just one of those appearances coming in the Premier League. The 28-year-old is incredibly comfortable on the ball, averaging 5.99 progressive passes per game in the last 365 days. He seems like an archetypal Guardiola full-back and could bring plenty of quality in that position.

3 CB – Ruben Dias

One of the two first-choice centre-backs under Guardiola this season has been Ruben Dias. The Portuguese star has played 15 games across all competitions, and it is no secret the quality that he brings.

Composed on the ball, exceptional out of possession, and a brilliant leader, the 28-year-old has long been one of Guardiola’s most trusted lieutenants. City Director of Football, Hugo Viana, called him “the ultimate professional” in the summer, highlighting his importance to City.

4 CB – Josko Gvardiol

The other half of City’s centre-back pairing is Josko Gvardiol. The Croatian star can also operate left-back, but this term, he has found himself alongside Dias at the heart of the Citizens’ defence.

It is a role he has excelled in, too. Gvardiol is one of the best ball-playing defenders in the league, averaging 5.62 progressive passes and 1.03 progressive carries per 90 minutes, which really highlights his on-ball quality.

5 LB – Nico O’Reilly

It has been a breakthrough campaign for the versatile Nico O’Reilly. He has cemented his place in the City side at left-back, despite being a number ten by trade, and has made 14 appearances across all competitions.

Naturally an attacking player, the City academy graduate has chipped in with one goal and four assists, so he is having a productive season going forward.

This might be one of the things that caught the eye of Thomas Tuchel. The defender has been named in the last two England squads, amid hopes of securing a World Cup place next summer.

6 DM – Nico Gonzalez

Figuring out how to cope without Rodri in the side has been a conundrum for Guardiola over the last year. However, the form of Nico Gonzalez over the past few weeks has been a huge bonus. The Spaniard is finally starting to show why City paid £50m to get him from Porto last winter.

Once the best midfielder on the planet, the last 12 months have not been easy for Rodri, who suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury at the start of last season. He’s only played 415 minutes this term as he continues to be plagued by injuries.

Gonzalez has stepped up in his countryman’s absence. Guardiola clearly sees a lot in his talent, having described him as a “mini Rodri” last season. The former Porto star has played 16 games across all competitions, and it will be hard to displace him from a side in great rhythm.

7 CM – Phil Foden

This season, one of City’s academy graduate gems, Phil Foden, is thriving in a new role. Previously operating as a winger, the England star has excelled in a deeper number eight berth, with Guardiola giving him more responsibility in build-up and from deeper areas of the pitch.

In that deeper role, BBC Sport analyst Umir Irfan said he has “been one of the best players this season.”

Goals & assists

0.5

7

Key passes

3.1

38

Dribbles completed

0.8

10

Tackles and interceptions

1.5

19

Expected goal involvements

0.44xGI

532xGI

The stats from this season highlight how well the midfielder has played. For example, he averages 3.1 key passes and 1.5 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes.

8 CM – Aleksandar Pavlovic

Partnering Foden in this City dream lineup could be Bayern Munich and Germany midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic, the second new signing. The 21-year-old is reportedly a key target for City, as they look to boost their midfield stocks, amidst Rodri’s injury issues and Bernardo Silva’s contract, which will expire this summer.

The midfielder, who could be worth as much as £43m, is well thought of around Europe. Journalist Manuel Veth has even suggested he can follow in the footsteps of a German legend and be “the next Toni Kroos,” which would surely appeal to City fans.

Despite being so young, he is well-trusted by City great and current Bayern coach Vincent Kompany. The Belgian has played Pavlovic 14 times this season. As for the Kroos comparison, well, that stems from his excellent passing ability. In the last year, Pavlovic has averaged 7.59 progressive passes per 90 minutes, ranking him in Europe’s top 8%.

9 RW – Rayan Cherki

The summer was a busy period for City, who looked to enhance the quality of the squad. In signing Rayan Cherki, it is fair to say they did just that. The Frenchman only cost £34m from Lyon, but has taken to life at City like a duck to water.

The France international is a versatile attacker who can play as a number 10 or off the right. Wherever he is operating, though, Cherki has shone this season despite injury issues. He already has six goals and assists in nine games, averaging a goal involvement every 535 minutes.

10 LW – Jeremy Doku

Last Sunday, against Arne Slot’s Liverpool, the Etihad Stadium witnessed one of the best performances in a long while from Jeremy Doku. He scored the third goal and completed seven dribbles, terrorising the Liverpool defence.

Already this season, the tricky Belgian winger has chalked up seven goals and assists this term. He has shone under Guardiola, with Irfan even going as far as saying he is “one of the best in the world” right now.

Tottenham Hotspur are now reportedly considering an offer to sign a Premier League striker to replace the struggling Dominic Solanke for Thomas Frank in 2026.

Frank ready to replace Solanke

It’s been an excellent start for Frank in North London. After becoming the first Premier League side to win away at the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Sunday, Spurs now sit as high as third in the Premier League. Any thoughts about a repeat of last season are long gone and the Lilywhites are on course to earn their place back in the top four.

Not everyone is thriving under the Dane, however. In fact, the likes of Solanke have failed to win over the new manager entirely and now reports are suggesting that the former Brentford boss simply does not rate him.

The same reports also claimed that Spurs could replace the former Liverpool striker as soon as January, which could open the door to an early exit just over a year on from his £65m move from Bournemouth.

What hasn’t helped the forward’s case is his injury history. Since the start of last season, Solanke has missed 26 games through injury. For a £65m signing, that was always likely to give those in North London something to think about.

Tottenham now keen on "world-class" £35m star who Frank's already approved

Spurs are in the race to sign a new forward.

ByDominic Lund Oct 28, 2025

The early season form of Richarlison as well as the introduction of loan signing Randal Kolo Muani is also unlikely to help Tottenham’s record signing, who is facing an uphill battle to get in to Frank’s side for the first time.

Now, further reports have claimed that the Lilywhites are considering a 2026 offer to sign the 28-year-old’s replacement in a brutal decision from all involved.

Tottenham considering Igor Thiago offer

According to Caught Offside, Tottenham are now considering a 2026 offer to sign Igor Thiago from Brentford. Frank initially welcomed the forward to West London for a record deal in 2024 before the Bees broke that record to sign Dango Ouattara in the summer just gone. Now, the Dane could reunite with his towering striker in North London.

The Brentford star has recovered from a long-term injury issue and is now thriving under Keith Andrews – scoring seven goals in 10 games in all competitions so far this season. It’s, therefore, no surprise that Spurs are reportedly eyeing a €35m+ (£31m+) loan to buy offer for Thiago in the January transfer window.

Described as “selfless” by Andrews, Thiago could yet hand Frank an ideal replacement for the struggling Solanke, who takes up £140,000-a-week on Spurs’ wage bill.

Brendon McCullum, England’s head coach, said that his beaten players would double down on their team unity after a chastening loss in the first Test at Perth, and vowed to block out the outside noise after what he acknowledged was “a very bad day”.Speaking to TNT Sports after Travis Head’s 69-ball century had condemned England to a crushing eight-wicket defeat inside two days, McCullum revealed he had been confident of his team’s chances of defending a slender total of 205, on a pitch that had offered pace and movement throughout, and on which Australia had been rolled aside for 132 in their first innings.Instead, Head came out swinging as a stand-in opener for the injured Usman Khawaja, and succeeded in knocking England off the aggressive lengths that had worked so well for their five-pronged pace attack on the opening day.”I thought 200 was actually a pretty good score for us to try and defend in the last innings,” McCullum said. “But the way Travis Head played was absolutely outstanding. It’s one of the best knocks I’ve seen in a pressure situation on a tough wicket.”I spoke to Gilly [former Australia wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist] about five minutes before their last innings, and he said, ‘I think you guys have got 30 too many’. I said, ‘I hope so’, but we might have needed another 230 the way that Travis played.”Fair play. We’ve always said that if someone’s able to stand up to what we throw at them, and be able to put us under pressure and deliver a performance such as that, then you have to tip your cap.”Head had been trapped on the back foot throughout a tentative first innings, scoring 21 from 35 balls from No. 5, before falling to a loose pull to mid-on off Ben Stokes. This time, however, he took the offensive option with 16 fours and four sixes, and grew in aggression throughout a first-wicket stand of 75 with the debutant Jake Weatherald, before adding 117 more with Marnus Labuschagne.With doubts about Khawaja’s fitness after a back spasm, and with Australia’s top-order in a state of flux coming into the series, Head may have made the role his own for the rest of the series – just as he did in powering Australia to ODI World Cup glory two years ago.”We will look at how we can control things better if that confronts us again,” McCullum said. “But at the same time, you’ve got to just acknowledge how special that knock was, particularly out of batting position as well. I thought was a brave call from the Australian coaches and from Travis Head as well, to put himself up the order.”Ironically, despite the extent of England’s own batting failings at Perth, with all 20 of their wickets falling in just 67.3 overs across the two days, Head’s success has encouraged McCullum to double down on their own policy of going hard at Australia’s bowlers.”Clearly, they wanted to try and make that ball as soft as what they could, as quickly as they could,” he said. “You do that through two ways. Right? You either do it through absorbing pressure and letting them all go through to the keeper, or you try and do what Travis he did, and batter it to all parts and make teams go away from their lengths. And he was superb.”As everyone knows, that’s the style of play that we try and replicate as well, to try and put opposition teams under pressure and take them away from bowling the most dangerous length. It doesn’t always work. And there were times today, with bat in hand, where we tried to do that, and it didn’t work. But the way that Travis Head played, he took the game away from us.”Case in point was the performance of Scott Boland, who bounced back from his rough first-innings figures of 10-0-62-0 to deliver the decisive spell of the day, immediately after lunch, as England lost 4 for 11 in 19 balls. Both of their set batters, Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope fell in consecutive overs after getting bogged down by Boland’s accuracy, and when Harry Brook and Joe Root tried to take the aggressive option before they had the measure of the conditions, they too both fell cheaply.Related

• England need to shut out the noise and look in the mirror

• Head: 'It's not going to get much bigger than this'

• Bareknuckle Baz-brawl produces Ashes all-nighter for the ages

• Live Report – Stunning Head century gives Australia 1-0 lead

• Travis Head's 69-ball ton secures remarkable two-day win for Australia

“Boland bowled exceptionally well,” McCullum said. “He hit the deck hard, his paces were up as well, particularly after I felt we were on top of him a little bit in the first innings. The way he came back was a really pivotal moment. We were 100 in front, one-down, there was a time for us to be able to try and manoeuvre the game more into our favour and start to build the lead.”But in the end, we got out. We nicked out a couple of wider balls, and some of our high-quality players, who are free-wheeling types of cricketers, weren’t quite able to put pressure back on the opposition. We found ourselves in a bit of a collapse, and that’s something we’ll have to look at.”But I never want us to go away from our style. That is our best opportunity to try and put opposition teams under pressure. Yes, there’s times where we have to throttle down, and times where we can power up, but the basic principle of how we try and operate as a team is to try and exert some pressure back on the opposition.”The magnitude and manner of the defeat means that the reaction in the local media, and from the fans – both English and Australian – is likely to be off the scale in the coming days, especially given some of the headlines that contributed to the pre-series phoney war.McCullum, however, backed the culture of the dressing-room to withstand the worst of the criticism, much as has been the case throughout the ups and downs of his three-and-a-half-year tenure.”We’ve been trying to insulate against reacting to things too much for a little while,” he said. “We know that this one’s going to hurt, and it’s going to hurt not just us, but all the English people that follow this cricket team as well.”There’ll be a lot of a lot of chatter. For us, it’s a matter of making sure that we don’t allow our confidence and our camaraderie to dip too low. We know that at our best, we’re a very good cricket team. We have now got an extended amount of time off over the next 10 to 12 days to make sure that when we get to Brisbane, we bounce back.”One of my big beliefs is you got to build that unity, that cohesion, the connectivity and that camaraderie within a team for when you are under the biggest pressure, and the brightest lights, and things haven’t worked out accordingly. To me, there is no other way other than to stay together, and keep backing one another, and keep heading towards the target.”This is a marathon, not a sprint. We’ve had a very bad day today, but we’ve done it before. That’s our blueprint. We’re married to that, and we won’t back down from that over the next four Tests.”