Harry Brook returned to the venue of his Test debut and smashed 85 from 91 balls to top-score for England as they were bowled out for 283 by Australia on day one; watch day two at The Kia Oval live on Sky Sports Cricket from 10.15am on Friday (first ball 11am)
Thursday 27 July 2023 20:13, UK
When he made his Test debut at The Kia Oval against South Africa last September, Harry Brook only got the chance to give everyone watching a brief glimpse of his undoubted talent with the bat.
The middle-order batter hit two fours before hooking to Kagiso Rabada off Marco Jansen for just 12 and then did not have the opportunity to bat in the second innings as England cantered to a nine-wicket win over the Proteas to secure a series victory.
Back at the same venue months later, with 11 Test caps and over 1,000 runs already to his name, the 24-year-old strode out to the crease with England 73-3 on the first day of the fifth Test against Australia and proceeded to smite 85 from 91 balls.
That included a shot off Mitchell Starc which was akin to the one he was caught by Rabada off on his debut, only this time it went all the way for one of two sixes in his innings, a sign of how Brook believes his ability to read the length opponents are bowling at has improved.
"I just felt like with the wind out there especially, it was a pretty small hit, plus Starc's pace as well," Brook told Sky Sports Cricket.
"I felt like it was pretty pointless trying to hit it down there. Then the other one, I just picked up the length pretty quick and fancied it.
"In the last couple of years, I think I've got a lot better at that. As long as my head is still and I'm not moving, I can always get the release I need.
"I think I've always had fairly fast hands - I think it makes a difference when I'm looking to score. I think I've said a couple of times, if I'm looking to survive then I'm pretty useless."
Brook is perhaps the poster boy for the attacking approach England have adopted in the last year, with the Yorkshireman having a strike rate of 91.64 from his 19 Test innings so far, including 141 fours and 22 sixes.
The right-hander did not have it all his own way against the Australians though, notably being given a glaring let-off on five after being dropped by wicketkeeper Alex Carey and flashing two edges in between slip and gully for boundaries.
That goes a long way to explaining why the man who sports a Major League Baseball sticker on his bat outperformed CricViz's expected runs state by plus-43.8 before being caught by Steve Smith in the slips off Starc, but former England batter Mark Butcher knows that is just part of the risk-reward which comes with Brook's batting.
"He came out like his pants were on fire," Butcher told Sky Sports Cricket. "You get away with one or two, and then the timing comes, and the footwork comes - he's touched with genius.
"Harry Brook is going to come out and entertain you, but all of the stuff you enjoy comes with the risk that at some point you're going to play a bad once and, using the old parlance, give your wicket away.
"But there won't be any recriminations, they've decided to be aggressive, want to push on and think they might lose Monday [due to the weather], and all of this depends on going as fast as you possibly can. You buckle up with England and you have to take the rough with the smooth a bit."
Brook's seventh Test half-century came in the face of fearsome bowling from the Australians, particularly skipper Pat Cummins who tested him with the short stuff and rattled the batter's inner thigh repeatedly.
Nevertheless, England were still able to score at a rate of more than five runs an over, and Brook insisted the plan was still to take on the opposing bowlers whatever length they decide to attack from.
"They're so persistent in their length, especially Pat Cummins," Brook said. "As soon as he gets a little bit out of the pitch he's very tough to face.
"I felt like I got battered on the inner thigh-pad all day, but they bowled well and we ended up scoring at a decent rate.
"The way we're playing, we're always going to try to take them off their lengths. He [Cummins] doesn't miss much, so as long as I can get to the pitch of the ball or stay back a bit more or give myself a bit of width. It's challenging, but it's those little risks you've got to take, really."
England were eventually skittled out for 283 in the evening session on day one, having been made to bat first after Cummins won the toss under grey skies and with a green-tinged wicket to bowl on at the start of proceedings.
Even with Australia closing on 61-1 and trailing England's first-innings total by 222, Brook felt the hosts had a good day and insists there will be no change to their outlook in a match they must win to avoid a first home Ashes series defeat since 2001.
"I think we've had a good day in the end," Brook said. "We were speaking about 250 being a good score at lunchtime, so to end up getting 283, we were pretty happy with it.
"We've been so chilled after the past 12 months, why change it now in the last game of the summer? There's no point."
Watch day two of the fifth Ashes Test live on Sky Sports Cricket on Friday. Build-up starts at 10.15am with the first ball at 11am. Stream The Ashes and more with NOW.
