We’ve Clawed Back : Brook on Century That Revived England’s Hopes

England batter Harry Brook bounced back strongly in the second Test against India. He had been dismissed for a golden duck in the second innings of the first Test at Leeds. That early exit pushed him to make a big impact this time.

Brook played a key role on Day 3. England were struggling at 84 for 5, chasing India’s first innings total of 587. But Brook, along with Jamie Smith, turned the game around. He scored a solid 158 runs, while Smith made 184. Together, they added 303 runs for the sixth wicket. Brook said after the match, “I was off the back of a golden duck so I just wanted to get off the mark.”

Motivation After Missed Century

In the previous Test, Brook missed his century by just one run. He got out on 99. That disappointment clearly fueled his hunger. “I was definitely hungry to get a hundred today,” Brook said. “Obviously with the situation of the game, we were behind the eight-ball and to try to get the momentum to swing back in our favour, along with Smudge (Smith), was a good moment.”

India Maintain Control

Although England fought back, India still hold the advantage. They reached 64 for 1 in their second innings. Their overall lead now stands at 244 runs, with two full days left. Brook admitted India were ahead. However, he pointed out how quickly momentum can change in a Test match.

“Hopefully we’ve clawed ourselves back into the game. I just tried to bat as long as I could,” he said. “If I hadn’t got out we wouldn’t be in this situation now, but we saw (at Headingley) last week how quickly it can change.” He added, “India are in the driving seat but hopefully we can put pressure with early wickets and make them crumble.”

Brook Applauds Indian Bowlers

Brook praised India’s disciplined bowling strategy. He described how the bowlers challenged the batters. “The Indians bowled really well with it. They came wide on the crease, attacked the stumps, kept all three modes of dismissal in play, and they made it do just enough to be able to get them wickets at the end there.”

Hope for a Strong Bowling Response

Brook admitted England’s bowlers didn’t perform well late in the day. However, he stayed optimistic about Day 4. “We didn’t get it quite right tonight. Hopefully, we can do that tomorrow morning. There’s plenty of wickets to be had out there.”