Former Australia captain Greg Chappell has advised Harry Brook to practice "calculated risk-taking" in his batting following England’s 2-2 draw in the 2025 Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
England’s pursuit of a 374-run target at The Oval was anchored by twin centurions Joe Root and Harry Brook. Brook’s knock came at a brisker pace, as he got his hundred in 91 balls. England were cruising at 301-3 when Brook miscued an aggressive shot to Akash Deep, departing for 111 off 98 balls. His dismissal opened the floodgates as India ripped through England’s batting order, taking the last seven wickets for 66 runs. The six-run victory was India’s narrowest win ever by runs.
Just 30 Tests into his career, Brook has already notched 10 centuries, becoming the ninth-fastest to reach the milestone by innings (50). Only one batter in the past 70 years has achieved it faster - West Indies' Clyde Walcott (47 innings in 1955). Despite his century proving futile, Brook was named England's Player of the Series after amassing 481 runs at 53.44, striking at 81.38. His other hundred - a 158 off 234 balls - spearheaded England's recovery from 83-5 to 407 in their first innings at Edgbaston.
50 innings, 2820 runs, 13 fifties and 10 centuries.
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) August 5, 2025
Harry Brook goes from strength to strength in red-ball cricket 💪#HarryBrook #ENGvIND pic.twitter.com/n939wWYvem
'Positive cricket doesn't mean reckless cricket' – Chappell on Brook's fourth innings dismissal at the Oval
In his ESPNcricinfo column, Chappell praised Brook as a worthy successor to England’s highest run-scorer, Joe Root. However, he cautioned about maintaining the right balance between aggression and restraint, citing England’s collapse as evidence. He described Brook’s dismissal shot as "reckless cricket" to reinforce his point.
"Brook has the tools to be one of England's finest batters, arguably their most destructive, in the modern era - a worthy successor to Joe Root," Chappell wrote.
"He has time, range, confidence, and that rare gift of making batting look effortless. But cricket, particularly Test cricket, is not just about shot-making. It's about judgment. About recognising when the moment demands attack - and when it demands restraint.
"Brook's dismissal at The Oval, with the game finely poised, was symptomatic of the conundrum that is facing the England setup. The 'Bazball' philosophy - of fearless, attacking cricket - has revitalised their Test side. But it cannot become an excuse to avoid doing the hard yards. At 301 for 3, all England needed was for one batter to hold his nerve. To absorb pressure. Brook went for the glory shot - and perished.
"There's nothing wrong with positivity. But positive cricket doesn't mean reckless cricket. It means confident, calculated risk-taking. Brook is emerging, and he will learn. But to become the match-winner England need, he must embrace the grind along with the glamour. Root didn't become England's most prolific batter by always playing pretty strokes. He earned it with grit. Brook will need to do the same if he is to fulfil his vast potential," he added.
Brook has already amassed 2,820 runs at 57.55 – the second-highest tally by any batter since his debut. Another 180 runs in his next innings would make him the joint-second-fastest to 3,000 Test runs. His career strike rate of 87.52 is the highest among all players with at least 1,000 Test runs.
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