Harry Brook stood tall for England on Day 3 of the Edgbaston Test against India, delivering a composed and mature innings after the top order collapsed. His calm presence at the crease helped steady the innings, as he stitched a record 303-run partnership with Jamie Smith. While Smith led the charge with his aggressive knock, Brook played a vital supporting role, making a strong impact with his fearless yet controlled approach against the Indian pacers.
Brook went on to score his ninth Test century, reaching the milestone in just 44 innings—making him the fastest England player to do so since Herbert Sutcliffe, who did it in 43 innings back in 1928. Brook’s Test average has now risen to 60.37, which is the second-highest among active players with at least 20 innings, only behind Sutcliffe’s 60.73.
“Brook is a Thinking Cricketer” says Hussain
Former England captain Nasser Hussain heaped praise on Brook’s temperament and game awareness in his Daily Mail column. “For his last three Test hundreds, he has walked to the crease with the scoreboard reading 45 for three, 26 for three and 25 for three here. He clearly deals well with pressure,” Hussain wrote.
Hussain also applauded Brook’s composure and tactical maturity, saying, “Importantly, he didn’t try to keep up with Smith, either. Smith overtook him very quickly, but Brook just kept his own tempo. This was back to Bazball at its smartest.”
On Brook’s style of play, he added, “Brook doesn’t just play one way. He’s a thinking cricketer… he adapts to playing the shots in his favour.”
Hussain further highlighted Brook’s calculated aggression, explaining, “There’s a method in that madness… 32 attempts at it have got him 92 runs, and he’s never got out to it.”
Brook’s knock, alongside Smith’s brilliant hundred, not only rescued England from a difficult position but also reaffirmed their ability to mix Bazball aggression with smart cricket under pressure.
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