Brook Reflects on His Start to the Ashes Series

Harry Brook’s first Ashes tour has been a mixed beginning, with scores of 52, 0, 31, and 15 across the opening two Tests. Two of those dismissals, one driving at a back-of-a-length ball in Perth and another edging a booming drive off Mitchell Starc in Brisbane, stood out as moments he himself called “shocking shots.”

Brook has been one of England’s most exciting Test batters since debuting, averaging 55.05 with a strike rate of 87.36 from 32 Tests. His natural game thrives on counter-attacking from No. 5, often shifting the pressure back onto bowlers. But this series, he acknowledged, has pushed him into moments where he tried too hard to force the counterattack.

Speaking after England’s training session at Adelaide Oval, he said:

"It hasn't been an ideal series. Sometimes, I've got to rein it in a little bit: learn when to absorb the pressure a little bit more… I just haven't identified those situations well enough."

Brook explained that his aggressive instincts tend to kick in when England loses early wickets, leading him to try and take control quickly.

"Most of the time when I've been overly aggressive is when we've lost early wickets… I played quite nicely and gloved down the leg side."

He accepted that execution, not intent, has let him down.

"So far [in this series], my execution hasn't been as good as it has been at the start of my career."

Brook also shared that he avoids social media entirely, meaning he has not seen any criticism. Instead, he has relied on reviewing his own dismissals honestly.

"They were shocking shots. I'll admit that every day of the week… It was just bad batting."

He noted that in those moments, he simply needed a calmer option.

Adjusting to Australia’s Bowling and Finding the Right Balance

The England batter said he does not regret the attacking mindset, but recognises that against Australia’s quality attack, he must identify when to attack and when to rotate strike.

"I can almost just take that and hit it for one and get down the other end."

This series has also seen Australia innovate tactically, with Alex Carey standing up to the stumps in Brisbane to prevent Brook from charging the fast bowlers, a method that has been central to his game.

Even so, Brook suggested that he is ready to use his feet again in Adelaide if needed.

"You've got to try and create your own bad balls… Doing that might be me running down; it might be me changing my guard."

Brook emphasised that Australia’s bowlers rarely miss their lengths, and respecting that is part of the challenge.

"Look, they don't miss often, and you've got to tip your hat to them sometimes. They've bowled really well in this series."

Despite limited involvement so far, having only bowled to him for two overs due to conditions, England expects Brook’s impact to grow as the series moves forward.

Joe Root’s Strong Backing and England’s Mental Reset

Joe Root extended a powerful endorsement of Brook, comparing him to Kevin Pietersen and calling him a rare talent capable of match-winning innings at any moment.

Speaking on the Sky Sports Cricket podcast, Root said:

"Harry Brook is a generational player… He is a match-winner."

Root believes that once Brook gets set, Australia should be wary.

"If he gets himself in and set… he's going to go and do something very special for us."

He highlighted Brook’s unique ability to change a match with minimal effort.

"He can kill teams with a whisper… He does things that other players can't do."

Brook, who also serves as England’s vice-captain, said the team’s mid-series break in Noosa was valuable after falling 2-0 behind. He described the getaway as a chance to regroup and escape the weight of an Ashes series.

"We tried to stay away from cricket as much as possible… We had a belting time."

Brook said the timing was perfect as England hopes the refreshed mindset will spark a turnaround in Adelaide.