England batter Harry Brook has pitched in with a controversial view that Team India were “afraid” of England’s batting muscle, particularly after India had set a target of 608 runs in the second Test at Edgbaston. Brook’s comments come after England’s successful chase of 371 runs in the first Test at Headingley, a five-wicket victory, that is their second-highest successful run chase in Test cricket history. That thrilling victory, said Brook, compelled India to ditch any plans of playing for fun in the following match and instead compile an impossible score to avoid another defeat.
“We saw them set a ridiculous total for us at Edgbaston. They were a little bit scared of setting us a total that we could potentially get. So that played into our favour and gave us a lot of confidence as well, going into other games going forward,” Brook said in the press conference ahead of the Manchester Test.
Despite England’s failure at the Edgbaston Test, Brook revealed that the target set actually boosted team spirits. He hailed the Headingley victory as a demonstration of the team’s grit and determination, and credited skipper Ben Stokes for his cool leadership when under pressure during the tense final overs at Edgbaston.
“Chasing that total at Headingley was an unbelievable win as well. And then obviously last time, the fight and determination we showed to get that last wicket, and the skills and patience that Stokes showed as well throughout that period where we couldn’t quite find a wicket, it was awesome to watch. I’m sure it kept everybody on the edge of their seat,” he added.
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In a separate update, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) revealed that there was one alteration to England’s team for the forthcoming fourth Test at Old Trafford. Spinner Liam Dawson is back in the Test environment after an eight-year absence, taking the place of injured Shoaib Bashir. The 35-year-old Hampshire all-rounder played his last Test in July 2017 and is back in the squad as the sole change to the playing XI.
