Harry Brook reflected on his team’s failed batting performance against India in the first T20I in Kolkata. Looking back at how they fared at the Eden Gardens after being asked to bat first, Brook said ‘smog’ made it tougher for him and other visiting batters to pick the ball, adding he is expecting a clear weather at the Chepauk (in Chennai).
Jos Buttler’s England side scored just 132, with the captain scoring the bulk of runs (68). Though Brook (17) and Buttler tried saving England’s sinking ship (after losing two early wickets to Arshdeep Singh), Varun Chakaravarthy’s twin strike in the 8th over broke their back, and wickets kept tumbling after that.
“Chakaravarthy is an exceptionally good bowler,” Brook said ahead of the second T20I against India in Chennai. “But with the smog the other night, it was a lot harder to pick. Hopefully, the air is a bit clearer here, and we can see the ball a bit easier.”
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Although Brook is among the best Test batters going around, having scored plenty of runs in red-ball cricket lately and even having a T20 World Cup title to boast about in the shortest format, he admits struggling to take on spin like he does to pace.
“Facing spin in T20 cricket is probably the hardest thing in the game, especially because I always get out trying to absolutely smack it. Maybe I’ve got to rein in a little bit, but we’ll see,” Brook said.
“I think I do have a method. It’s just trying to do it consistently and more often. I come in the middle order, so the first few balls I face are usually off-spin."
“If I get out early, it’s usually against a spinner, so maybe my stats aren’t as good against spin, but there’s always going to be criticism in some parts,” he continued.
Changes to England Team for 2nd T20I
Following the thrashing they suffered in the first T20I in Kolkata, England are bound to make a few changes to their line-up.
For the next T20I in Chepauk, traditionally a spin-friendly venue, scheduled on Saturday (Jan 25), England have replaced seamer Gus Atkinson with Brydon Carse, while rookie all-rounder Jacob Bethell is also facing a health scare and missed Friday’s training. England has called up keeper-batter Jamie Smith as his backup.
India lead England 1-0 in the five-match T20I series.
(With inputs from agencies)