England batter Harry Brook was under the spotlight after another bowled dismissal, this time at the hands of Jasprit Bumrah on the opening day of the Lord’s Test against India. Brook, who walked in at 153-3 after Ollie Pope’s unusually patient 44 off 104 balls, lasted just 11 runs before Bumrah delivered a seaming ball that nipped back from outside off and knocked back his off stump.
This marks a recurring concern for the young England star, who was also undone by similar deliveries at Edgbaston. In the second Test, Akash Deep had Brook bowled in the first innings and trapped lbw in the second, both times exploiting inward movement.
Sri Lankan legend Kumar Sangakkara, speaking on commentary during the Lord’s Test, offered a detailed critique of Brook’s technique and advised a tactical shift in his stance.
“He [Brook] always sets up outside off stump, and it's worked for him so far. But I'm not a fan of someone batting outside off stump. It just opens up too many opportunities for fast bowlers, pad and stumps, and it also aligns you too straight. I would much rather the Joe Root way, stay [with the] bat inside his stumps and actually align and hit the ball where it should be going,” Sangakkara said.
Sangakarra questions Brook’s stance
Sangakkara noted that Brook’s position outside off stump left him vulnerable, as seen in the delivery that led to his dismissal at Lord’s. He further elaborated on the adjustments Brook could consider going forward.
“It’s kind of a trade-off. It’s worked for him so far but now in two Tests we’ve seen that the Indians have used it as an opportunity. And now he’s got to counter it. Either he’s got to bat outside his crease, where he can get closer to the ball; use his feet, but those are options that he’s tried before.”
“I’d much rather he bat on middle, perhaps slightly closer to off stump if he wants. That’s where he starts, but staying beside the ball, inside his stumps to me is always better because it opens up the off side and also allows you to play balls that seam into the bat better,” Sangakkara added.
