Harry Brook knows exactly what has gone wrong so far. Four knocks, 52, 0, 31 and 15, an average stranded in the mid-20s, and two dismissals he labels – without hesitation – “shocking shots”. The 24-year-old is on his first Ashes tour and, by his own admission, has been a touch too eager to force the pace against a “highly-skilled” Australian attack.
“It hasn’t been an ideal series,” Brook said after Monday’s training session at Adelaide Oval. “Sometimes I’ve got to rein it in a little bit, learn when to absorb pressure and realise when the moment’s right to put it back on them. I feel like I haven’t done that as well as I usually do.”
Brook’s honesty is refreshing. The first mis-step, in Perth, saw him drive at a back-of-a-length ball and nick off; the second, at Brisbane, was a booming drive off Mitchell Starc that scarcely got off the ground. “The one in Perth was nearly a bouncer and I tried to drive it… just bad batting,” he said. “In Brisbane I tried to hit it for six. If I was there again, I’d play it differently.”
The numbers remain emphatic: 32 Tests, average 55.05, strike-rate nudging 90, most of those runs collected at No.5 while counter-attacking. That freedom has occasionally strayed into recklessness this month, particularly under the Gabba lights when Starc was flirting with 150kph. Brook is not ripping up the blueprint, but he will shade in a few edges.
“When we’ve lost early wickets I’ve tried to counter-punch. Sometimes that works; sometimes it looks awful. I need to spot those pockets where one, two overs of calm buys you 40 minutes of scoring later on,” he added.
Root’s faith remains sturdy
Joe Root, England’s leading run-scorer this series, offered a pointed endorsement. “He’s a bit like Pietersen,” Root said on Sunday. “He does things that other players can’t do. He’s a generational player and he’s going to deliver at some point in this series.”
Root’s words land with weight in an England dressing-room still feeling its way through a lively first fortnight. The former captain enjoys a conversational authority and believes opposition attacks “fear Brook when he gets going”. Australia would probably agree; Alex Carey stood up to the stumps in Brisbane specifically to snuff out Brook’s habit of charging the seamers.
“I’d never seen a keeper stand up to someone bowling that pace,” Brook smiled. “It messed with my rhythm a bit, but that’s Test cricket. You find a way.”
Social-media silence
Brook avoids social platforms during tours, so the chatter about his dismissals has drifted past him. “Haven’t seen a thing,” he said, grinning. “But even if I had, I’m the first to admit they were poor shots. No hiding from it.”
England’s batting coach, Marcus Trescothick, has spoken to the Yorkshireman about tempo rather than technique. “Harry doesn’t need a technical overhaul,” Trescothick said. “It’s more about picking the right ball – the stuff we covered in county cricket, really.”
Third Test considerations
The coaches are not expected to shuffle the order ahead of Thursday’s day-night Test, meaning Brook should resume at five. The pink ball traditionally offers movement under lights, and Australia are likely to recall Josh Hazlewood, giving Brook another high-class puzzle.
“He bowls a lovely length, challenges both edges,” Brook said. “But I’ve faced him plenty on video this week. If he misses, I’ll look to score; if it’s on a dime, I’ll respect it.”
England trail 1-0, after defeat in Perth and a rain-ruined draw in Brisbane. The margin feels slim yet significant. Captain Ben Stokes wants sharper decision-making with the bat; Brook’s pledge to “temper, not turtle” aligns with that call.
Measured aggression remains England’s stated identity. “No one’s telling Harry to go into his shell,” Root noted. “Just play the situation – and when it’s his day, enjoy the show.”
Brook hears the encouragement, weighs it against his own diary of mistakes, and offers a closing thought: “I won’t stop taking the game on. That’s me. But you’ll see a little more control, I hope. The best way to make up for two bad shots is a good innings, isn’t it?”
England, and indeed the series, could do with one sooner rather than later.
