Harry Brook has admitted he is struggling to prevent spin in T20s but believes the “smog” in Kolkata was partly to blame for England’s poor batting following their heavy defeat by India.
England continued their run in Asia as India’s standout spin trio of Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi and Axar Patel posted figures of 12-1-67-5 on Wednesday. So we are fighting against turning balls.
Brook looked unable to sort out Chakaravarthy’s mystery spin and castled through bat and pad, but feels the conditions are hazy in the complex at Eden Gardens and will be hoping for better visibility in Chennai.
“Chakaravarthy is a very good bowler,” Brook said.
It has become difficult due to smog
“But last night it was much harder to choose because of the smog. “Hopefully the air will be a little clearer here so we can see the ball a little easier.”
But Brook’s desire to up his performance has been generally questioned as England look to bounce back from a seven-wicket defeat in the second T20 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Saturday.
Brook, a 2022 T20 World Cup winner, briefly topped the Test batting rankings last month and was England’s first triple centurion since 1990 with his titanic 317 against Pakistan in Multan in October.
He has an incredible batting average of 58.48 in the format, putting him in the all-time top 10, but the Yorkshireman admits he still has something to prove against spin in the subcontinent.
“Facing spin in T20 cricket is probably the most difficult thing in the game, especially because I always try to hit it outright,” he said. “I probably need to hold back a bit, but we’ll see.
- 1st T20, Kolkata, January 22 – India wins by 7 wickets
- 2nd T20, Chennai, January 25
- 3rd T20, Rajkot, January 28
- 4th T20, Pune, January 31
- 5th T20, Mumbai, February 2
“I think I have a way too. Just trying to do it consistently and more often. I come in in the middle order, so the first few balls I face are usually off spin.
“If I get out early, it’s usually against spinners, so my stats may not be as good as against spin, but there will always be criticism in some quarters.”
spin problem
Brook beat Chakravarthy in his debut season in the Indian Premier League in 2023 as Sunrisers Hyderabad posted a remarkable unbeaten record against Kolkata Knight Riders.
“I tried to watch it on the way (to Friday’s practice session), but my phone wasn’t working, so I’ll check it out a little later,” Brook said.
Brook showed his leadership last year, replacing the injured Jos Buttler and inspiring England to come from 2-0 down to 2-2 against Australia before losing 3-2 in the ODI series.
It comes as no surprise that Brook has been appointed as Buttler’s permanent white-ball assistant captain, with he revealed he received an impromptu text from all-format manager Brendan McCollum.
“We were sitting at the bar the other night and Baz texted me from across the room,” Brook added. “He just said, ‘Congratulations, you’re vice-captain,’ and I said, ‘That’s beautiful, thank you.’ There wasn’t much conversation.
“I think there is always responsibility, whether you are vice-captain or playing in the XI. I feel like I’m not the vice-captain.
“Jos is very experienced. I will give him a few suggestions here and there and when he comes to me I will give him my opinion. But it is up to him whether he will accept it or not.”
Gus Atkinson is out of the firing line after his blistering attack in the first T20 and is set to be replaced by Brydon Carse.
England are expected to take a late decision on Jacob Bethell, who missed training on Friday due to unwellness, while Jamie Smith awaits his T20 debut.
Read more: Jofra Archer – England’s brand of cricket remains the same despite T20 defeat
