The flamboyant right-hander was dismissed for 31 runs in the first innings of the second Test.
On the other end of all the merits of playing flamboyant cricket, there lies a stark tunnel that leads to a lot of criticism. As for Harry Brook, the stark tunnel presented itself in the form of Mitchell Starc, who dismissed the Englishman for 31 in the first innings of the second Test in Brisbane. Brook’s dismissal was more or less, the turning point of the English innings, as the visitors lost wickets in a heap.
After a 117-run partnership between Zak Crawley and Joe Root for the third wicket, England were once again going strong despite Crawley walking back after scoring a composed 76. Brook and Root were getting along well with a 54-run stand between them, when England’s innings derailed and fell off a cliff. Australia brought Starc back into the attack, and Harry Brook went for an expansive drive, only to edge the ball straight to Steve Smith in the slip cordon.
Of all the analysts and experts who were disappointed with the approach which Harry Brook took, former speedster Stuart Broad summed it up perfectly, questioning Brook’s game awareness. Broad stated that the English No.5 batter is no more new to the Test circuit, and must understand the consequences of his own shot-making. His time of dismissal did not help England at all.
When Brook got dismissed, it was just the beginning of the twilight phase, and the pink ball is known to do a lot more under the lights. To add to that, Starc was a serious threat, and the next man coming in was skipper Ben Stokes – who has not had the best time against the left-arm pacer from Australia. This is exactly why Brook was expected to continue batting with a calm head on his shoulder. The 26-year-old was dismissed for 31 off 33 deliveries, with four boundaries.
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The England No.5 needs to make sure that he converts his starts into big totals. Throwing his wicket away after getting the best of starts, and also not realising the situation that the team is in have been two of the most concerning points for the England white-ball skipper. Harry Brook will have to make sure that he puts a price tag on his wicket and does not let any freebies.
Brook got out in a similar fashion in the last Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy at The Oval. Except, that was after he scored a humongous century. That being said, his dismissal completely shifted the momentum in India’s favour and the visitors went on to win the match by six runs – also levelling the series 2-2.
Test matches cannot be won in a single session. But they can be lost in a single session for sure. Brook needs to understand this, and he needs to adapt to it quickly. The right-handed batter has got all the shots in the book, and can take the attack to the opposition at will. However, knowing when exactly to get that side of the game out would be the challenge that lies ahead of the 26-year-old.
His dismissal gave Australia an opening just when the twilight period was starting to take shape. The floodlights were turning on, and the Aussies were on the cusp of cracking the door open. That came in the form of a terrific run-out by Josh Inglis to send skipper Stokes back. However, Will Jacks played a decent hand to partner Joe Root en route his 40th Test ton, which saved the day for England.
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