Harry Brook has confirmed England can have a Plan B with the bat, producing one of the vital mature innings of his profession to maintain the hosts within the Ashes.
One of three native Yorkshire lads at Headingley, Brook was the star as he helped information England’s chase of 251 with three wickets to spare on Sunday.
Before the beginning of the sequence, Australia’s former captain Steve Waugh was amongst these to query if England would have a fallback plan when below strain from Australia.
Brook was one of many males in query, having been England’s quickest scoring participant within the 12 months below coach Brendon McCullum.
At no level was that clearer than on Sunday, when he turned the quickest man to 1000 Test runs by way of balls confronted, mentioning the milestone off 1058 balls.
But on the identical landmark day, Brook confirmed he’s extra than simply an out-and-out aggressor.
He scored one run off his first 9 balls, and whereas there have been 9 boundaries within the 93-ball 75, he performed comparatively risk-free and rotated the strike with the sport on the road.
Moved again down the order to No.5 after batting first drop within the first innings, England wanted 158 to win when Brook arrived on the wicket.
He then steered England to inside 21 runs of victory earlier than he was dismissed, placing on a vital 59-run stand with Chris Woakes for the seventh wicket after Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow fell.
“I felt like they were trying to get me off strike, but I managed to put a couple of bad balls away,” Brook stated.
“Coming out here in front of my home crowd. The crowd is buzzing. It was a phenomenal win and sets us up an exciting series.”
Stokes additionally counseled Brook’s maturity at age 24 and in simply his tenth Test, after himself being the miracle man for England at Headingley towards Australia 4 years in the past.
“The way Brooky controlled the game from ball one with the bat was amazing. He went out there and put the pressure straight back on to them,” Stokes stated.
England’s win was additionally successful for his or her returning pair, with Mark Wood and Woakes each enjoying a vital position with each bat and ball as they lowered their sequence deficit to 2-1.
The duo ought to now certainly maintain on to their spot for the fourth Test on July 19 at Old Trafford, whereas England should wait to see whether or not Ollie Robinson (again spasms) and Stokes (knee) will be capable of bowl.
Questions will even be requested about whether or not Jonny Bairstow ought to maintain his spot as wicketkeeper, after grassing one other three probabilities at Headingley throughout a horror sequence with the gloves.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au