Amazed by the batting consistency shown by England’s middle-order star, Harry Brook, the former England captain, Nasser Hussain has made the bold comparison likening him to another legend in English cricket, Kevin Pietersen.
Hussain, who wrote for The Daily Mail, praised Brook’s ability to look comfortable despite the unfavourable conditions or the situation that might be against him.
To give some context, England were trailing by 169 runs and lost three wickets when Brook walked in to pair up with Joe Root. What seemed to be a batting collapse, ended up being a masterclass by two of the best in the business on how to take the pressure off quietly and turn the situation in your favour.
Root was dismissed on 42 but then Brook went on to stitch another 50-run partnership with the wicketkeeper batter Jamie Smith to take back control of the game.
And that is where the former England captain, sees the shades of batting legends. The ability to play their shots despite the situations.
“It’s not necessarily about trying to be like Kevin Pietersen or Viv Richards but Harry Brook has that real aura about him at the crease, Hussain wrote.
He is such a talent and he does have a bit of Pietersen about him with those long levers but in the absence of Ben Stokes, Brook’s role in the middle order becomes even more vital for England,” he added.
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When it comes to batting in the middle-order, one could likely walk into a situation where the top-order batters might not have fired and the onus comes on the middle-order batters to take the responsibility of taking the game away from the opposition.
Nasser commented, “The style of batter they have there is crucial because they need players who can counter and have that positive intent but also be calm and composed”.
Reflecting on the day’s play in Manchester yesterday, Nasser reckons that the conditions might not be as simple as it looks. But that is where their immense skill lies, in making tough conditions look easy to play out.
“This Old Trafford pitch is one where most batters have not felt completely comfortable throughout and that’s where both Brook and Jamie Smith have shone with how easy they have made it look,” he wrote.
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While Brook was disappointed with his dismissal after his half-century, Jamie Smith went on to score his maiden Test century and give his side enough of a lead to get back in the game.
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