There was something different about Harry Brook’s hundred in an Under-19 World Cup game against Bangladesh in 2017-18. Unlike some of his teammates, he was looking to play against the turn while facing Bangladesh’s spin trio.
That sense of adventurism has been clearly evident right through his short Test career. Brook has already aggregated 1181 Test runs at an astounding average of 62.15 and strike rate of 91.76. In that backdrop, it is a blow to the England management that Brook has withdrawn from the forthcoming Test series against India due to personal reasons.
So, in an imaginary sense, how would Brook have played in Indian conditions? Some point to his failures in the Indian Premier League 2023, where barring one hundred, he did little of note. Right through the course of the tournament, it was clear that he was premeditating way too much. On enough occasions, he was manufacturing too much room, resulting in him not being able to reach the ball.
In the Sunrisers Hyderabad-Kolkata Knight Riders game, Brook attempted to paddle-sweep Anukul Roy even before the left-arm spinner released the ball. He was duly trapped in front. For most of the tournament, Brook was not wearing the hat of a batter. He was instead trying to play more like a slogger. Ultimately, he neither accumulated too many runs nor did he have a very good strike rate.
In the 2023 World Cup hosted by India, Brook got limited opportunities. He showcased glimpses of his ability to handle Afghanistan’s potent spinners on a track that stayed low in Delhi. Unlike his teammates, Brook picked the length early and showed sound judgment against the likes of Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, who in turn bowl quicker through the air.
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If Brook had taken part in the Test series, perhaps he would have been troubled by Ravindra Jadeja’s left-arm spin. Although Brook did look to come forward against Afghanistan in the World Cup, he is still a back-foot player. So, Jadeja would have fancied dislodging him LBW or bowled. Until Brook plays a Test series in India, his game against spin will be a raging topic on various social media platforms.
Meanwhile, England have announced Dan Lawrence as Brook’s replacement. Interestingly, Lawrence, who plays for Essex in the County Championship, has been dismissed bowled or LBW as many as six times in his 17 innings. There is a perception that he commits way too early and plants his front foot, which in turn could be the root cause of some of his dismissals.
Having said that, Lawrence seems to have worked on his game. In the Test series against New Zealand in 2021 and West Indies a year later, he wasn’t loading up too early. He also ended up accruing a couple of fifties in those two rubbers. The critics still might point out that in his last Test till date, he was dismissed LBW and bowled.
Keaton Jennings was another option. Even though Jennings plays at the top of the order, he has two hundreds to his name in the subcontinent – one each in India and Sri Lanka. Jennings seems to pick the length reasonably early and probably has the ‘feel’ for spin bowling. His detractors observe that his game is suspect against pace and movement. Although, in India, it doesn’t move around appreciably, the hosts have a formidable pace attack.
Both Lawrence and Jennings were decent enough options to replace Brook, with England deciding to pick the former for the Test series in India. However, neither of them has the aura of Brook. Brook was the X-factor in the line-up as he has the ability to disrupt the opponent’s plans with a volley of shots. He is definitely one of the main components of the ‘Bazball’ template, and his absence leaves a sizeable hole in the England line-up.
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Indian midfielder Lallianzuala Chhangte and defender Pritam Kotal in this exclusive chat with RevSportz speak about the positives they take from the previous two games, the lessons learnt, praises the fans for their endless support and looks forward… pic.twitter.com/y9YI7KVcSZ
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