England faced some criticism in India earlier this year when Ben Duckett suggested their aggressive approach might have influenced Yashasvi Jaiswal's impressive performance. Harry Brook wisely avoided revisiting that topic this week, but there was still a sense of mutual respect as he watched the day-night Test in Adelaide from afar. As England secured a three-day victory in Wellington and a series win against New Zealand, several players tuned in to see Australia tie the Border-Gavaskar series at one-all. With the Ashes less than a year away, both teams are closely monitoring each other's progress, even if the pink-ball conditions in Australia's win make their true form harder to assess.
Brook's attention, however, was drawn to an audacious move by Rishabh Pant. 'I don't know if you saw it,' Brook said, referring to Pant's first-ball run down the pitch and swatting Scott Boland for four. 'To have that kind of courage to get off the mark first ball is something we've done exceptionally well over the last couple of years. We are out there to score runs, not to survive. Sometimes you have to step out of your comfort zone and have the courage to run down the track or whatever. If you see a gap in the field, you think, 'let's just try to hit it there'. There's less risk of getting out.'
Though Pant's innings and India's match faded on the third day, his move was bold, especially with his team struggling under lights. But this approach might become more common as batters increasingly view it as the percentage option against fast bowlers in helpful conditions.
Brook's own innings, 24 hours earlier, mirrored this mindset. With England in trouble at the Basin Reserve, he executed a Strictly-style footwork and hit Nathan Smith for six over extra cover. His match-defining 123 from 115 balls was full of highlights, but that shot encapsulated his approach. 'It was probably my favorite century so far,' said Brook, who sat out the final day of England's 323-run win due to a sore ankle but expects to be fit for the third Test. 'My best form of defense was attacking. I got them off the lines and lengths they wanted to bowl, and took them away from the stumps. So I was happy with that.'
Like Pant, Brook has a 360-degree power game, remarkable hand-eye coordination, and appears unburdened by cricket's historical expectations. He now has 2,280 runs at 61.62 from his first 23 Tests, with a strike-rate of 88.57. However, the 25-year-old is yet to tour India or Australia and is cautious about becoming overconfident. 'Those stats can soon come soaring down,' Brook said. 'I'm just trying to keep improving, working hard in the nets and addressing areas that are uncomfortable.'
Joe Root, however, had no such reservations, declaring Brook 'by far and away the best player in the world at the minute,' despite holding the No1 spot in the Test batting rankings himself. Root's comments came the day he was nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year, after scoring his 36th Test century and sixth this year. 'Brook can absorb pressure and apply it,' Root explained. 'He can hit you for six over your head. He can scoop you over his head for six. He can hit spin. He can hit seam. He's just so hard to bowl to.'
The third Test at Seddon Park, starting on Saturday, will see New Zealand slightly reeling from a 2-0 deficit following their 3-0 triumph in India. One selection issue appears resolved, with Devon Conway missing the finale to attend the birth of his first child. Will Young, player of the series in India, is likely to step up. The other concerns Tim Southee, and whether sentimentality should see him selected for his final Test. Ian Smith believes Southee should miss out after 15 wickets at 61 from 10 outings this year. But coach Gary Stead stressed that all bowlers struggled in Wellington and that 'anyone in the world' would have found Brook challenging.
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