India Vs England: McCullum Said We Were 'Too Nice', Says Brook On Flaring Tempers In 3rd Test

Harry Brook revealed that England head coach Brendon McCullum said that the team had been "too nice" ahead of their third Test against India at Lord's.

With the series level at 1-1, England produced the goods with a 22-run victory in a match that saw several different flashpoints spark the contest into life. 

Towards the end of the third day of action, India showcased their frustration with the time-wasting tactics of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett as they closed the session out. 

Mohammed Siraj was subsequently punished for his celebration of Duckett's dismissal at the start of the fourth day, earning him a 15% match-fee fine. 

That lit a fire under England when it was their turn to field, with the returning Jofra Archer giving a pumped-up send-off to India's Rishabh Pant.

Later in the match, England seamer Brydon Carse and visiting all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja had to be separated on the final day as tempers flared ahead of the fourth Test.

And Brook said McCullum's previous comments were raised on the at the end of the fourth day, when the match hung in the balance.

"He actually said a few days before that we are too nice sometimes," Brook told BBC Sport.

"I brought it up the night before the last day: 'Baz said the other day we're too nice, I think tomorrow is a perfect opportunity to really get stuck into them'.

"It came at the perfect time. The opportunity that arose for us to not be the nice guys was because of what they did the night before.

"We watched two of our guys out there on their own, going back at the Indians after they were going at them. We just thought 'we're not standing for that'.

"We had a conversation and said 'it's time to not be those nice guys that we have been before'."

England have won each of their last seven men's Test matches against Asian sides at Old Trafford, and will be hoping for another victory this time around to clinch the series. 

Only at Edgbaston have they managed a longer winning run against such opposition in the format, managing a run of eight wins before losing to India in the second Test. 

England have won 53 men's Test matches against India. A win in this game would take their tally to 54, equalling their number of wins against New Zealand and West Indies. 

Only against Australia (112) and South Africa (66) have they recorded more victories in the format.

While Brook said he would embrace the needle of the upcoming clash, he said that England were looking to change their "nice guys" tag. 

"At Lord's we had a conversation. We thought it was the perfect opportunity to not be the nice guys that we have been in the past three years," added Brook. 

"To go out there and put them under more pressure than what they have probably had before.

"I don't think it's against the spirit of cricket. We weren't being personal, we weren't being nasty, we were just putting them under more pressure.

"We weren't going out there effing and jeffing at them, and being nasty people. We were just going about it in the right manner."