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Former India head coach Greg Chappell criticized Harry Brook for getting dismissed 'recklessly' in the fifth and final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy held at The Oval. This comes after the England batter played a fiery knock of 111 runs from 98 deliveries against India, but got dismissed while trying to unnecessarily hit a big shot. This dismissal also broke the massive 195-run stand that Brook had formed alongside Joe Root and helped India get back into the game.
England were restricted to 301/4 at that time and were cruising towards the 374-run target, but Brook's wicket gave the Men in Blue a lot of belief and they took the remaining six wickets in the space of only 66 runs. The hosts eventually lost the match by six runs as the visitors levelled the series at 2-2.
"England's own journey in this series presents a cautionary subplot - one embodied by the brilliant but mercurial Harry Brook, whose virtues I have extolled publicly before," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPNcricinfo.
"He has time, range, confidence, and that rare gift of making batting look effortless. But cricket, particularly Test cricket, is not just about shot-making. It's about judgement. About recognising when the moment demands attack - and when it demands restraint," he added.
Chappell isn't a fan of 'Bazball' either
Chappell also took a dig on England's 'Bazball' style of batting and stated that even though it has helped in revitalizing the team, it has also led to them making a lot of errors in crunch situations.
"Brook's dismissal at The Oval, with the game finely poised, was symptomatic of the conundrum that is facing the England setup. The "Bazball" philosophy - of fearless, attacking cricket - has revitalised their Test side. But it cannot become an excuse to avoid doing the hard yards. All England needed was for one batter to hold his nerve. To absorb pressure. Brook went for the glory shot - and perished," Chappell wrote.
"There's nothing wrong with positivity. But positive cricket doesn't mean reckless cricket. It means confident, calculated risk-taking." Chappell said a more restrained approach in challenging match situations would help Brook establish himself as a worthy successor to Joe Root, England's most prolific run-getter," he added.
"Brook is emerging, and he will learn. But to become the match-winner England need, he must embrace the grind along with the glamour. Root didn't become England's most prolific batter by always playing pretty strokes. He earned it with grit. Brook will need to do the same if he is to fulfil his vast potential," he further wrote.
Meanwhile, England will now be shifting their focus to the white-ball formats as they will are set to host South Africa in a three-match ODI series which is set to commence from September 2. They will also be facing the Proteas in a three-match T20I series which will begin from September 10. Their next red-ball assignment will be the Ashes where they will be touring Australia for a five-match assignement that will begin from November 21.
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