Harry Brook has vowed to change his batting approach going into the Adelaide Test of Ashes 2025/26.
'It was just bad batting': Harry Brook on Ashes showing so far
Brook has so far registered scores of 52, 0, 31 and 15 in the series, with three soft dismissals. He got a faint edge while attempting a pull in the first innings of the Perth Test, triggering a collapse. He then edged a drive away from his body in the second as Australia won in record time, and lost his wicket to a wild flash in the first innings of the Gabba Test.
But with England 2-0 down and the Adelaide Test now a must-win for them, Brook has decided to be a little more cautious. He also admitted being dismissed to “shocking shots” that he doesn’t want to repeat.
Ahead of the Adelaide Test, he told reporters on Monday (December 15): "I'll admit that every day of the week. Especially that one in Perth. It was nearly a bouncer and I've tried to drive it. It was just bad batting. The one in Brisbane, I've tried to hit for six. That's what I mean when I try to say that I need to rein it in a little bit.
"I can almost just take that and hit it for one and get down the other end. I'll be the first person to stand up and say that they were bad shots. I don't regret them, but if I was there again, I'd try and play it slightly differently."
Brook further pinpointed that the issue has been his suboptimal reading of the game situation: "Most of the time when I've been overly aggressive is when we've lost early wickets and I've tried to counter-punch and put them back under pressure. I tried to do that in Perth in the first innings: I played quite nicely and gloved down the leg side.
"I try to read situations as well as possible, and then it all depends on my execution. And so far [in this series], my execution hasn't been as good as it has been at the start of my career."
Brook’s dismissal in the first innings of the Perth Test triggered an English collapse that saw them lose five wickets for 12 runs in 18 deliveries. In the second innings, he was among the five English batters to be dismissed in a space of 23 runs.
Similarly, in Brisbane, England were in a strong position with Brook and Joe Root adding 54 runs for the fourth wicket in the first innings, but the flamboyant batter was dismissed trying to drive, attracting widespread criticism. They eventually lost by eight wickets.
Follow Wisden for all cricket updates, including live scores, match stats, quizzes and more. Stay up to date with the latest cricket news, player updates, team standings, match highlights, video analysis and live match odds.
