Will England alter their Bazball approach? Harry Brook answers
What's the story
England's vice-captain Harry Brook has admitted that he needs to change his approach while batting against Australia in the ongoing Ashes series. The right-handed batsman has struggled for form in the first two Tests of the series, scoring just 98 runs at an average of 24.50 from four innings so far. England are set to face Australia in the 3rd Test in Adelaide, a must-win encounter. They are coming off two successive defeats.
Tactical change
Brook's admission and potential strategy shift
Brook, who has been a key batter for England, admitted that he hasn't handled pressure situations well in this series. He said, "Sometimes we've got to rein it in a little bit," adding that he needs to learn when to absorb pressure and when to put it back on the opposition. "I feel like I probably haven't done that as well as I usually do in this series so far," added Brook.
Strategy against spin
Approach against Lyon and Australian bowlers
Despite his struggles, Brook has indicated that he will continue to play aggressively against Australia's experienced spinner Nathan Lyon if he is picked for the Adelaide Test. He praised Lyon as an "extremely highly skilled bowler" who takes a lot of load off their fast bowlers. However, Brook also stressed on the need to rotate strike and read situations accurately while playing against such quality bowlers.
Batting struggles
England's batting performance in the series
England's batting has been a concern in the first two Tests of the series. Joe Root is the only player with a batting average above 30, while other top-order batsmen like Zak Crawley, Ollie Pope, Ben Duckett, and Brook himself have not made much of an impact with the bat. This has added to England's woes as they look to bounce back in Adelaide.
Information
England squad for 3rd Test
England squad: Ben Stokes (captain), Harry Brook, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Shoaib Bashir, Jacob Bethell, Brydon Carse, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Matthew Fisher, Will Jacks, Ollie Pope, Matthew Potts, Joe Root, Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), and Josh Tongue.