PAK vs ENG: It was two years ago, that Harry Brook came in as a Test cricket player with an explosive maiden century in Rawalpindi. On that day, he became the fourth centurion for England, scoring 153 off a mere 116 balls as they put up a fantastic 506 for 4 on the opening day.
He then followed this up with a few centuries in Multan and Karachi, an impressive string of form which he started with a century in the 2022 PSL and carried into a successful T20I series. Brook is playing like Kevin Pietersen did on his debut.
Recent Performances And Adaptation
Brook had begun the series by crushing 317 for England in Multan. The knock was the country’s highest for nearly 34 years. In the second Test, Brook fell twice to the astute observations of Sajid Khan and scored 9 and 16. It was his poorest test in Pakistan, his first without a century, and a first defeat.
Sajid’s plan to exploit Brook’s habit of sitting back against the spin had paid rich dividends when his leg stump got knocked back on the ball which pegged to keep low. England coach Brendon McCullum was gracious in his assessment admitting Sajid’s smart bowling when admitting Brook had ‘potential’ but talking about the need to adapt.
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Getting Set For The Tiebreaker
Brook has since been speaking about plans against Sajid and Noman Ali ahead of the final decider. He says he tends to play spin off the back foot, and he believes that gives him a little bit of extra time to react to spinning deliveries. But he is keen to overcome such issues and put the pressure on the bowlers.
While Brook averages way higher against spin (67.81) than seam (57.70), his recent failures did garner some attention, since it was his first assignment on the ground that favored spinners after missing the tour to India.
Positive Thinking Under Adversities
In Rawalpindi, England engaged in a light-hearted six-hitting competition on their final practice session that ended when Brook narrowly missed winning. Stokes said of the competition that good humor will need to be maintained after weeks in hotels and stadiums. It was a reminder of Brook’s explosive batting.
Playing just 20 Tests, Brook has easily consolidated his position as an all-format regular for England, with his average standing just shy of the 60 mark. Pakistan coach Jason Gillespie believes Brook still has plenty of development in him but feels he can get accustomed to any condition.
Long Season Ahead
Brook has worked extremely hard. He played 35 games across formats since April, including eight Tests, five one-day internationals as a stand-in captain, and a T20 World Cup. The Test he plays at Rawalpindi will bring him to the end of a tough season but before the year is out, Brook will have a bit of a breather ahead of the England tour to New Zealand.
